Researchers introduced Filter‑aided expansion proteomics (FAXP), a method that combines hydrogel tissue expansion with mass spectrometry to profile proteins in formalin‑fixed, paraffin‑embedded (FFPE) tissue at higher spatial resolution. FAXP addresses longstanding limits of FFPE analysis and enables retrospective biomarker discovery from archived clinical specimens. In a related clinical application, plasma exosome proteomics identified candidate protein signatures associated with metastatic colorectal cancer. The study used high‑throughput proteomic measurements of circulating exosomes to reveal pathways linked to metastasis and therapy resistance, highlighting minimally invasive plasma profiling as a route to stratify patients for targeted treatments.