Evolution in single-cell proteomics drives new frontiers in cancer biology and precision medicine

The inherent heterogeneity of cancer leads to varied responses to treatment and underscores the need for the development of precision medicine. Single-cell proteomics is crucial for deciphering intra- and inter-tumor heterogeneity. Mass cytometry and other antibody-based technologies, which enable simultaneous quantification of >100 proteins per cell, have been widely applied in cancer studies. Concurrently, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry-based single-cell proteomics has dramatically improved protein coverage from approximately 1,000 to >6,500 proteins per cell, driven by enhanced sample preparation, instrumentation, and throughput. These high-throughput capabilities now empower large-scale, protein-level analyses, which have uncovered detailed maps of tumor heterogeneity. The resulting insights deepen our understanding of tumor biology and provide new opportunities for guiding precision cancer medicine.