Target Discovery - Protein Isoforms 2

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Protein Isoforms

Isoforms represent a new class of diagnostic biomarkers. Our bodies have developed elaborate mechanisms to modify proteins, creating many protein variants (isoforms), both to increase the diversity of functions and to regulate the activities of proteins. About 8% percent of these isoforms are generated during the process of transcribing the coding genes into mRNA. Over 90% of protein isoforms are created through post-translational modifications (PTMs) after the mRNA is translated into a protein. Recent scientific evidence is demonstrating that the differentiation and quantification of individual protein isoforms could improve insights into disease diagnosis and management. Target Discovery's Isonostic™ assays are designed to access and capitalize upon these untapped protein isoform biomarkers.

The rapidly growing field of nucleic acid molecular diagnostics is only able to address 8% of the potential isoform biomarker space: those isoforms generated at the mRNA level. Furthermore, the correlation between mRNA and protein levels is poor. Except in rare cases (e.g., the HgA1c diabetic assay)¹ immunodiagnostic assays fail to distinguish between the isoforms of a particular parent protein, explaining the stagnant growth of this diagnostics market segment and the loss of market share to molecular diagnostics.

Learn more about Post-Translational Modifications

Learn more about Isoforms in Cancer

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¹Langdown, J.V. et al. (1992), Hemoglobin 16:11-7.