While selected/multiple-reaction monitoring (SRM or MRM) is considered the gold standard for quantitative protein measurement, emerging data-independent acquisition (DIA) using high-resolution scans have opened a new dimension of high-throughput, comprehensive quantitative proteomics. These newer methodologies are particularly well suited for discovery of biomarker candidates from human disease samples, and for investigating and understanding human disease pathways. Areas covered: This article reviews the current state of targeted and untargeted DIA mass spectrometry-based proteomic workflows, including SRM, parallel-reaction monitoring (PRM) and untargeted DIA (e.g., SWATH). Corresponding bioinformatics strategies, as well as application in biological and clinical studies are presented. Expert commentary: Nascent application of highly-multiplexed untargeted DIA, such as SWATH, for accurate protein quantification from clinically relevant and disease-related samples shows great potential to comprehensively investigate biomarker candidates and understand disease.
Keywords: Data-independent acquisition; PRM; SRM; SWATH; biomarker; clinic; mass spectrometry; proteomics; quantification.