Protein signatures across multiple neurodegenerative diseases

The identification of disease-associated protein signatures could contribute to an increased understanding of neurodegenerative disorders. Despite some key discoveries, much about disease pathogenesis remains unknown. We hypothesize that there are complex patterns and associations to be discovered throughout the various degree of heterogeneity within and similarities across different diseases. To uncover these patterns, it is essential to investigate many proteins across several independent cohorts.

The Human Protein Atlas, one of the most visited biological databases in the world, is expanding to include protein signatures in plasma across many major diseases. This expansion includes 10,000 samples analyzed with Olink Explore 1,500 and another 10,000 samples analyzed with Olink Explore HT, covering 5,400 proteins. The Human Blood Disease Atlas will include protein profiles in plasma from patients with cancer, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, and neurological diseases.

Specifically, we are analyzing over 2,200 samples from patients with neurological diseases, including Alzheimer"s disease, Parkinson"s disease, frontotemporal dementia, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, but also schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and epilepsy. We are including well-characterized cohorts in collaboration with distinguished clinicians both in Sweden and internationally. This unique effort aims to identify disease-specific signatures as well as patterns common across several diseases. The protein levels across various neurological diseases will be made available as an open-access resource within the Human Protein Atlas (www.proteinatlas.org).

In conclusion, analyzing large and independent cohorts across different neurodegenerative diseases is crucial for identifying disease-relevant protein signatures. These complex signatures could enhance our understanding of these diseases and aid in identifying relevant patient subgroups.