Metabolomics and proteomics in pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma: Translating biochemistry and biology to bedside

Abstract

The complexity of omes – the key cellular ensembles (genome and epigenome, transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome) – is becoming increasingly understood in terms of big-data analysis, the omics. Amongst these, proteomics provides a global description of quantitative and qualitative alterations of protein expression (or protein abundance in body fluids) in response to physiologic or pathologic processes while metabolomics offers a functional portrait of the physiological state by quantifying metabolite abundances in biological samples. Here, we summarize how different techniques of proteomic and metabolic analysis can be used to define key biochemical characteristics of pheochromocytomas/paragangliomas (PPGL). The significance of omics in understanding features of PPGL biology that might translate to improved diagnosis and treatment will be highlighted.