"Shared Biomarker Patterns^© (SB³): An Excel 2007 Add-In for the Identification of Common   Proteomic Profiles in SELDI-TOF Mass Spectra."

Shared Biomarker Patterns (SB³) uses a mass window approach to identify common variables (i.e. expressed proteins) in the proteomic profiles of two patient groups. The protein fingerprint common to both patients groups is hypothesized to contain novel disease associated biomarker patterns.

SB³ computes a mass window for each mass-to-charge peak in the reference spectrum. A clustering matrix is then used to identify peaks of similar molecular weight in the test spectrum. The cut-off of similarity is determined by the width of the mass window. The clusters identified are displayed as a list for easy viewing. A summary report of input parameters and summary statistics for each dataset (e.g. number of peaks, mass range, window size, and number of common peaks identified) are generated and incorporated into the tool output. The clusters identified should be interpreted as candidate biomarkers. Additional methods are required to reliably conclude that these peaks reflect the same proteins/peptides.   more info . . .