Human Proteoform Project to map proteins in human body

The Kelleher group's Human Proteoform Project will characterize known proteoforms (specific protein molecules) as well as aim to systematically discover and analyze new ones in human tissues, cells, and fluids. The project’s ultimate goal is to establish a definitive and comprehensive Human Proteoform Atlas, a reference set which will be public and available to all.

Over the past 5 years, the group has analyzed 21 blood cell types and plasma to create the first Blood Proteoform Atlas (BPA). They used state-of-art top-down proteomics methods and instrumentation to identify ~30.000 proteoforms. The results indicate that proteoforms are more specific than proteins to determinate cell types.

Proteoform signatures will soon become the foundation for faster, more accurate, and sensitive diagnostics in medicine.

The research was published in the journal Science Advances.

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