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In a recent study published in the Journal of Proteomics, researchers at the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology demonstrate how the PreOmics ENRICH-iST kit substantially enhances the detection of low-abundance proteins in human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), offering a promising step forward for biomarker discovery inneurological diseases.
CSF is widely regarded as one of the most informative liquid biopsies for understanding central nervous system disorders. Yet its analysis remains difficult, largely due to the high dynamic range of protein concentrations. To address this challenge, the research team evaluated whether the commercially available enrichment workflow, ENRICH-iST, could boost CSF proteome coverage without compromising analytical performance.
Their results show that ENRICH-iST markedly expands the number of detectable proteins, improves overall proteome depth, and maintains strong reproducibility, as evidenced by consistently low coefficients of variation. These improvements are crucial for identifying low-abundance protein biomarkers linked to early-stage or progressive neurological conditions—an area where sensitivity and precision are essential.
The authors emphasize that “the ENRICH strategy balances sensitivity and reproducibility, with the ease of use and the sample throughput required for translational research studies measuring hundreds of human liquid biopsies.” This balance positions the ENRICH-iST workflow as a powerful tool for large-scale studies that require standardized, high-throughput CSF processing.
Importantly, the study highlights how enrichment-based sample preparation can help overcome one of the most persistent limitations in CSF proteomics: reliably detecting low-abundance proteins that often hold the greatest diagnostic value.
Enrichment strategies, such as ENRICH-iST, can significantly strengthen biomarker discovery in neurological disease research by enabling rapid, sensitive CSF analysis and more in-depth proteome profiling.
