A comprehensive characterization of blood proteome profiles in cancer patients can contribute to a better understanding of the disease etiology, resulting in earlier diagnosis, risk stratification and better monitoring of the different cancer subtypes. In an article in Nature Communications, next generation protein profiling has been used to explore the proteome signature in blood across patients representing many of the major cancer types.

Plasma profiles of 1463 proteins from more than 1400 cancer patients have been measured in minute amounts of blood collected at the time of diagnosis and before treatment. AI-based disease prediction models allowed for the identification of a set of proteins associated with each of the analyzed cancers. By combining the results from all cancer types, a panel of proteins suitable for the identification of all individual cancer types is suggested. An open access Disease Blood Atlas resource allows the exploration of the individual protein profiles in blood collected from the individual cancer patients. The implication for cancer precision medicine of next generation plasma profiling is discussed in the publication.

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Contact person: Mathias Uhlen (email: mathias.uhlen@scilifelab.se)