Proteomics tools allow researchers and clinicians to assess the proteins that are in a sample, such as human blood. A new study has shown that the proteins that are found in only a single drop of blood have the potential to predict a person's risk of developing many different diseases, including some types of cancer and some heart conditions. The findings have been reported in Nature Medicine.
In this research, the investigators were able to access information from the UK Biobank, and in particular, the UK Biobank Pharma Proteomics Project (UKB-PPP). This study has measurements of the levels of about 3,000 proteins that are found in blood plasma, for more than 40,000 study volunteers. All of this data is also linked to each individual's health records.
The scientists used computational tools to crunch all of this data, and determined that there are patterns or signatures of some diseases that are revealed by five to twenty particularly relevant proteins.
There were proteomic signatures for 67 different diseases. There were proteins with a range of predictive powers. Some proteins could predict only one disease, while other proteins could help predict several diseases. For example, the protein TNF receptor superfamily member 17 was specifically predictive of multiple myeloma. The protein NTproBNP, on the other hand, was linked to the prediction of primary pulmonary hypertension as well as dilated cardiomyopathy.
The research also revealed some surprises. The protein gastrin has long been linked to the gastrointestinal system and its diseases. But this study suggested that gastrin is also connected to other unexpected disorders such as acute kidney injury, infections, osteoporosis and vitamin deficiencies.
The predictive power of many of these proteins was also shown to be better than other diagnostic tests and measurements that are used in the clinic, such as cholesterol levels or blood cell counts. The proteomics approach also appears to outperform tests for prostate cancer, or diabetes.
While scientists have developed reliable ways of assigning risk scores to patients for heart attack and stroke, this study has shown that such risk scores could be created for a wide range of diseases and even more rare conditions. Many people could benefit tremendously by getting an early warning of disease; rather than having to develop the disease and seek treatment, they might be able to prevent it from happening.
However, more research will larger groups of people from a variety of populations will be needed before those scoring systems can be created. This study can help serve as a foundation, however.
"Measuring one protein for a specific reason, such as troponin to diagnose a heart attack, is standard clinical practice," noted senior study author Professor Claudia Langenberg, Director of the Precision Healthcare University Research Institute (PHURI) at Queen Mary University of London, among other appointments.
"We are extremely excited about the opportunity to identify new markers for screening and diagnosis from the thousands of proteins circulating and now measurable in human blood. What we urgently need are proteomic studies of different populations to validate our findings, and effective tests that can measure disease relevant proteins according to clinical standards with affordable methods."
Sources: Queen Mary University London, Nature Medicine
