Introduction: In the search for molecular markers that aid in the early diagnosis and treatment of various human diseases, many studies have focused on changes in genes, their transcripts and protein products. Recent advances in proteomic methodologies, such as mass spectrometry (MS), generate new opportunities to obtain relevant information on normal and abnormal processes that occur in many important cell pathways. The human eye is a highly specialized and compartmentalized organ, and the interpretation of molecular biomarkers helps to evaluate its cellular structure, providing a broader molecular understanding that corroborates in the pathophysiology of ophthalmological diseases, with marked improvements in their diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. This review summarizes the most important protein biomarkers in Ophthalmology screened by MS tools.
Conclusion: The use of translational medicine techniques (as MS), integrating basic and clinical research, still transforms scientific findings, from laboratory researches to clinical applications, from the bedside into the community.
Keywords: Biomarkers; Mass spectrometry; Ophthalmology; Proteomics.