A pivotal moment for biomedical science

The largest population proteomics study in history is a game changer

As recently announced, the UK Biobank Pharma Proteomics Project (UKB-PPP) aims to use Olink® Explore HT to measure over 5,400 proteins in 600,000 samples from UKB participants. The collaboration between the UKB and 14 leading biopharmaceutical companies represents the largest study of its kind ever undertaken and will create a comprehensive map of protein levels in the human body to advance our understanding of disease. UKB-PPP will initially analyze 300,000 samples and seek supplemental funding to analyze an additional 300,000, bringing the total for the project to 600,000 samples.

This is a defining moment for biomedical science, where true population-scale proteomics is fully established, enabling breakthrough discoveries that will shape human health. The project will provide the scientific community with an unparalleled data resource that will fuel impactful discoveries across the breadth of human biology.

Building on a legacy of success

In the pilot phase of the UKB-PPP, Olink Explore 3072 was used to measure ~3,000 proteins in over 54,000 UKB participants. Following three landmark publications in Nature from consortium members in late 2023, this unique dataset was made available to the wider scientific community, resulting in a “measure once, query often” opportunity for the community to generate a plethora of impactful publications across a broad range of biological questions. Well over 100 peer-reviewed articles using the UKB-PPP dataset and citing the use of Olink data were published in 2024 alone, encompassing all major disease areas represented in the UK Biobank, illustrating the power of the project to deliver meaningful new discoveries relevant to future drug development and human healthcare.

A list of current publications based on the UKB-PPP dataset can be found here – SEE PUBLICATIONS

Transformative insights into human biology

With an order of magnitude increase in size over the pilot phase, the current UKB-PPP project has the potential to advance our understanding of the biological mechanisms of human health in ways not seen since the completion of the human genome project. By combining the power of Olink technology to measure thousands of proteins at population scale with data from the most well-characterized biobank in the world, scientist will be able to understand the effects of genetic differences as well as lifestyle and environmental factors on human health. Moreover, the project will facilitate the broader applicability of the data generated by taking advantage of the rich ethnic diversity among the UKB participants. Increasing the genetic diversity of population-scale multiomic studies will be a crucial factor in implementing precision medicine in a global healthcare perspective.

•  While new innovative approaches and unexpected findings will inevitably follow the release of this new proteomic dataset, some key focus areas are expected.
• Discovery of many new associations between genetic variants and protein levels (pQTLs), enabling the identification of proteins with causal roles in disease that can become new, robust drug targets or guide drug repurposing.
• Identification of novel pathway associations with disease, deepening our understanding of pathophysiology and commonalties among diverse types of diseases.
• Identification of new protein biomarkers for prediction, diagnosis, and prognosis of a wide range of diseases. This will accelerate the adoption of protein-based risk scores that can complement and even improve on current genetic and clinical risk scores, greatly supporting preventive medicine efforts.

A resource to accelerate the next generation of healthcare

When the new UKB-PPP resource is released to the scientific community beginning in 2026, it will constitute a wealth of information with huge significance to our understanding of human health. Genetic data has played a huge role in the drug development process over the past two decades. Looking forward, it’s clear that we are at the dawn of a new era. The participation of 14 leading biopharmaceutical companies in the UKB-PPP initiative underscores the central role proteomics will play in the next generation of healthcare.

Proteomics gives real-time insights into dynamic biological changes from minimally invasive samples.  As such, it has enormous potential to drive improvements in future healthcare. Early diagnosis, monitoring of disease progression, selection of more effective, tailored therapies, and assessment of therapeutic responses and outcomes will all benefit from this approach. What has been discovered in the last few years using population-scale proteomics is remarkable, and we have only scratched the surface of what is possible.

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