Respiratory diseases are the third highest cause of deaths on the global scale, with the major burden switching from infectious diseases to chronic noninfectious disorders including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, fibrotic lung disease, and lung cancer. Considering the complexity of the airways, for early diagnosis sophisticated technologies are necessary; initial symptoms are nonspecific, with frequently late clinical diagnosis. Mass spectrometry–based proteomics has rapidly advanced, and has permitted to gain a better understanding into disease mechanisms, to stratify diseases into their specific endotypes, and to identify novel therapeutic targets. We highlight potential biomarkers and their application to the clinic.
