Precision Medicine Needs Proteomics to Deliver on Its Promise
The talk featured in this article was delivered by Dr. Chris Whelan, founder of the UK Biobank Pharma Proteomics Project (UKB-PPP), at Olink Proteomics World 2024—a digital platform for scientists exploring the latest advancements in proteomics and proteogenomics across many disease areas.
Links
Remember the Human Genome Project? Back in 2000, it was hailed as the first great technological triumph of the 21st century, promising an era of precision medicine and cures for complex diseases. Fast forward almost a quarter-century, and while genomics has delivered on some promises, true precision medicine remains a bit of a “buzzword”. Why? Because, as Chris Wheelen argued in his talk at the Olink Proteomics World 2024, “we’ve relied too much on genomics by itself”. Precision medicine hinges on our ability to find the right drug for the right patient at the right time, and proteomics is key to making that vision a reality. Because most drugs act on proteins, proteomics offers a direct lens into disease biology, helping identify new therapeutic targets and understand how drugs work. It also provides the means to stratify patients based on their unique molecular profiles, ensuring treatments are precisely matched to those most likely to benefit. And because proteins respond dynamically to changes in health and disease, they offer real-time insight into when interventions are needed.
Watch as Chris Whelan elaborates on key three subfields crucial for realizing the potential of proteomics in precision medicine: population proteomics, exemplified by large-scale projects like the UK Biobank Pharma Proteomics Project (PPP); clinical proteomics, showcasing its utility in disease prediction and subtyping; and translational proteomics, an emerging field aiming to bridge human and cell line data for drug discovery.
If you are interested in where proteomics is heading and how it is being democratized to achieve ever more researchers, please register to the Olink Proteomics World 2025. We’re returning on October 8th with over 20 speakers across three tracks: Multiomics & Precision Health, Population Proteomics, and Disease-Focused Applications
Discover how proteomics is evolving and reaching more researchers than ever before. Be part of the conversation at Olink Proteomics World 2025—register today.
