Vitreous humor (VH) is a highly hydrated, clear gel-like substance located in the posterior segment of the eye between the lens and the retina. Some of the physiological and pathological conditions of the retina due to glaucoma can be reflected in the protein composition of the VH. Ace Therapeutics provides different proteomics services for the analysis of VH to assist researchers in discussing and expanding their findings on glaucoma, using proteomics studies to report important insights into the possible pathogenesis of glaucoma.
Proteomic Analysis of VH in Glaucoma
Fig. 1 Part of the human eye.
VH is composed almost entirely of water, with other components including a mixture of inorganic salts, lipids, collagen, and hyaluronic acid. The main difference between VH and AH is that there is a certain amount of vitreous humor in the human eye, but it does not move freely between the two chambers and remains only in the posterior chamber. The proteins of the healthy VH consist primarily of albumin and also include other components such as globulins, coagulation proteins, complement factors and low molecular weight proteins. Due to the close contact between the vitreous and the inner retina, the physiological and pathological conditions of the retina affect the proteomic profile of the VH. When various glaucomatous diseases cause retinopathy all cause changes in vitreous proteins.
In glaucoma cases, intraocular biofluids such as VH can be used for biomarker studies. With the undoubted importance of proteins in pathophysiological mechanisms and the increasing use of protein analysis in glaucoma research, VH, as a more proximal biofluid, can provide more specific information for clinical diagnosis and patient treatment through protein analysis.
Services for Proteomic Analysis of Vitreous Humor in Glaucoma
Our proteomics technology can provide you with high-throughput molecular information for your glaucoma research as well as identification and analysis of disease-specific biomarkers.
- Experimental Design for Proteomic Characterization of VH
We can use different techniques for proteomic analysis of vitreous depending on the needs, including immunoassay, mass spectrometry, etc. We mainly design the steps of vitreous fluid sample preparation, protein digestion electrophoresis, and analytical determination.
- Protein Identification
Previously reported VH proteins include aldolase A, orosomucoid 2 (ORM2), insulin-like growth factor binding protein 7 (IGFBP7), lipocalin 2 (LCN2), and opticin (OPTC), among others. These proteins can be used to validate our analytical techniques and additionally to identify new unique proteins.
- Bioinformatics Analysis
Search for identified proteins and perform bioinformatics analysis of subcellular localization, molecular function and biological processes, allowing for classification of proteins based on molecular function and biological processes.
Protein Analysis Applications
- Our protein analysis allows for comprehensive and targeted analysis to explore pathogenic pathways, novel therapeutic targets and molecular biomarkers of glaucoma.
- VH protein analysis provides a valuable tool for biomarker research from biomarker discovery to evaluation and validation.
- VH can be used as a preferred source of protein samples for glaucoma research, demonstrating correlation with glaucoma disease progression through protein analysis of preferably small samples.
Glaucoma researchers are increasingly interested in protein analysis for use in experimental and clinical samples, and it is clear that protein analysis technologies continue to provide more powerful tools for unraveling protein interaction networks and pathways of glaucoma pathogenesis, validating genomic and transcriptomic findings, and developing molecularly targeted drugs and disease-specific biomarkers for glaucoma.
Protein analysis is an integral part of the analytical environment for glaucoma research. Ace Therapeutics provides services for the analysis of expression, modification, function and interaction of glaucoma-related proteins to meet the needs of researchers conducting glaucoma research, please contact us to develop your service.
References
- Murthy K R, et al. Proteomic analysis of human vitreous humor. Clin Proteom, 2014, 11, 29.
- Gülgün T. Multiplex protein analysis for the study of glaucoma. Expert Review of Proteomics, 2021, 18(10), 911-924.