Biomarkörsletning

Biomarkörsletning is a process used in biology and clinical chemistry to remove one or more biomarkers from a sample or analytic workflow. The goal is to reduce interference from dominant components and to improve the detection and quantification of target, often low-abundance, biomarkers. By removing competing molecules, the analytical dynamic range can be expanded and downstream assays such as mass spectrometry or immunoassays can perform more reliably.

The term is commonly encountered in proteomics and plasma sample preparation. Biomarkörsletning is used to deplete high-abundance proteins, such as albumin and immunoglobulins, in order to reveal low-abundance biomarkers. It is also employed during assay development to reduce background signals or to simplify complex matrices that hinder measurements.

Methods used to achieve biomarkörsletning include affinity-based depletion with antibody columns, immunodepletion, dye-ligand affinity approaches, size-exclusion chromatography, and selective precipitation. The choice of method depends on the sample type, the target biomarkers, and the intended analytical technique. The process often requires careful validation to balance removal of interfering components with retention of relevant biomarkers.

Advantages of biomarkörsletning include improved sensitivity and a broader dynamic range, which can aid biomarker discovery and verification. Challenges include non-specific binding, potential loss of co-bound or related biomarkers, variability between preparations, added cost, and potential perturbation of the sample matrix that may affect subsequent analyses.

In Swedish scientific literature the term biomarkörsletning is used to describe these sample-cleanup or depletion steps, and it should be distinguished from data- or privacy-related deletion of information in datasets.