Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.10.19.344887v1?rss=1 Authors: Tang, M., Zeng, L., Zeng, Z., Liu, J., Yuan, J., Wu, D., Lu, Y., Zi, J., Ye, M. Abstract: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a malignant tumour with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Efficient screening strategies for CRC and pre-cancerous lesions will promote early medical intervention and treatment, thus reducing morbidity and mortality. Proteins are generally considered key biomarkers of cancer. Herein, we performed a quantitative, tissue-original proteomics study in a cohort of ninety patients from pre-cancerous to cancerous conditions by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. A total of 134,812 peptides, 8,697 proteins, 2,355 (27.08%) union differentially expressed proteins (DEPs), and 409 shared DEPs (compared with adjacent tissues) were identified. The number of DEPs showed a positive correlation with increasing severity of illness. The union and shared DEPs were both enriched in the KEGG pathway of focal adhesion, metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450, and drug metabolism - cytochrome P450. Among the 2,355 union DEPs, 32 were selected for identification and validation by multiple reaction monitoring from twenty plasma specimens. Of these, three proteins, transferrin receptor protein 1 (TFR1), adenosylhomocysteinase (SAHH), and immunoglobulin heavy variable 3-7 (HV307), were significantly differentially expressed and displayed the same expression pattern in plasma as observed in the tissue data. In conclusion, TFR1, SAHH, and HV307 may be considered as potential biomarkers for screening of CRC. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info