Disease biomarkers and aging biomarkers may be the same?

Chronic age-related diseases. Age-related changes in the
proteome have been described and were found to be highly similar
to changes associated with chronic diseases. We give several
examples on the successful application of proteomics in the diagnosis,
prognosis and therapy of these chronic diseases. Longstanding
diabetes is associated with a decline in renal function
and diabetic nephropathy has become the most prevalent cause of
end-stage renal disease. Patients with type 2 diabetes particularly
progress to severe life-threatening coronary artery disease,
the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Cancer
can be considered a chronic disease predominately observed
in the second half of life. Taken together, urological tumors of the
prostate and the bladder are the most incident malignancies
in the United States followed by breast cancer, and cause more
than 35% of incidences. Essentially, all clinical proteomic investigations
indicate that the approach to combine several disease-associated
markers to a clearly distinct panel appears to be well suited
for disease diagnosis, staging, progression, and for assessment
of prognosis of these chronic diseases.


Gerontology. 2009;55(2):123-37. Epub 2009 Jan 9.
Proteomics in gerontology: current applications and future aspects--a mini-review.

Schiffer E, Mischak H, Zimmerli LU.

Mosaiques Diagnostics and Therapeutics AG, Hannover, Germany. schiffer@mosaiques-diagnostics.com