The contribution of proteomics to the identification of biomarkers for cutaneous malignant melanoma

Despite significant advances in treatment of the melanoma during the past decade, the survival rate is little improved. A contributory factor to the poor outcome is the lack of appropriate sensitive and specific diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic response biomarkers. Many serum biomarkers have been evaluated in melanoma but their poor sensitivity and specificity remain serious limitations for their routine use in the clinical setting. Advances in proteomic instrumentation and methodology represent a very promising approach for improving the detection of new candidate markers or pattern of markers. However, the number of validated biomarkers is still limited and the reproducibility between studies remains unclear, impairing their use in clinical setting. In this review, we provide an updated overview of the biomarkers identified in melanoma through serum, cell lines, and tissue proteomic analysis. We also discuss on the emerging strategies used for the identification of new candidate melanoma biomarkers. Finally, we highlight the challenges remaining for clinical validation.