Proteomics Platform Identifies Proteins in Blood to Give Cancer Warning 7 Years before Diagnosis

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 11 Jun 2024

Image: The Olink Explore platform can identify proteins in blood that may provide a 7-year warning for various cancers (Photo courtesy of Olink Holding)

To improve cancer survival rates, it's crucial to understand the disease during its initial stages. Research involving data from thousands of cancer patients has uncovered exciting findings about how blood proteins can influence cancer risk, highlighting the need for further investigation to determine which proteins could be effectively utilized for prevention. Researchers have now employed a cutting-edge proteomics platform to identify blood proteins that could potentially provide a seven-year advance warning for various types of cancer. Their study findings underscore the significant potential of proteomics to transform cancer detection, enabling earlier interventions that could lead to improved treatment success and possibly even prevention.

In this groundbreaking study recently published in Nature Communications, the researchers used Olink Holding AB’s (Uppsala, Sweden) next-generation Olink Explore proteomics platform to examine blood samples from over 44,000 individuals. They successfully identified 371 proteins associated with 19 different types of cancer, including 107 proteins that could be detected in individuals up to seven years before a cancer diagnosis was made. The platform's scalability and precision allowed the researchers to conduct detailed analyses of a vast array of proteins across a large number of samples, revealing vital insights into the complex protein dynamics of the human body. Although these results are highly promising for the advancement of cancer management, the researchers have stressed the importance of further studies. It is essential to delve deeper into the roles these proteins play in the onset of cancer and to identify the most dependable proteins for future diagnostic tests.

“This breakthrough research, enabled by the Olink platform and the UKB Pharma Proteomics project, offers a glimpse into a future where early cancer detection and preventive intervention becomes a reality,” said Carl Raimond, President, Olink. “With continued research and development, discoveries such as these have the potential to transform how disease is diagnosed, treated, and prevented.”

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