January 10, 2025

UK Biobank launch world’s most significant protein study

UK Biobank are launching the world’s largest study of the proteins circulating in our bodies, which they say will transform the study of human disease diagnoses and their treatments. 

Proteomics is the study of measuring the proteins in the blood. It allows researchers to investigate the roles of these proteins in diseases such as cancer, dementia, and depression. A smaller pilot study is already the largest study of its type in the world and has already demonstrated huge potential for new and better disease diagnostics and treatments. The new project will be ten times larger and is being funded by a consortium of 14 pharmaceutical companies. 

Journalists came along to this briefing to hear more about the UK Biobank study as well as for a background on the field of proteomics, answering questions such as: 

• What is proteomics and how is it transforming the study of diseases?  
• How will proteomics lead to more accurate disease prediction, better diagnostics, and personalised treatments? 
• What does proteomics tell us about the interaction between lifestyle choices, environment and disease?
• Who can access this data and why is it such of a one-of-a-kind? 

• How far away are we from diagnostic blood tests for diseases such as dementia? 
• What does proteomics do that genomics can’t?

Speakers included: 

Professor Sir Rory Collins, Principal Investigator and Chief Executive of UK Biobank 

Professor Naomi Allen, Chief Scientist of UK Biobank 

Dr Chris Whelan, Director, Neuroscience, Data Science & Digital Health, Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, Pharma Proteomics Project Lead 

Professor Claudia Langenberg, director of the Precision Healthcare University Research Institute (PHURI) at Queen Mary University of London