Genetics of plasma protein levels

Genetics of Plasma Protein Levels

What are Plasma Proteins? 

Plasma proteins are important parts of your blood. They have various jobs that help your body function properly. Some blood proteins help your blood to clot, preventing you from bleeding too much when you get a cut. Others help fight off infections by attacking germs that enter your body. There are also blood proteins that carry nutrients, hormones, and other substances around your body to where they are needed. 

How was the research done?

The aim of this study is to use DNA testing to find certain proteins in the blood that could be signs of disease. Researchers think that changes in our DNA that affect these protein levels might also be linked to the risk of getting certain diseases. Researchers will look at many different genes and compare them to many different health conditions. This will help them see if any health conditions are linked to DNA changes that affect the levels of 2-5,000 different proteins in the blood. We will use this data to create a genetic risk score for each person. 

What is the significance of this study?

Scientists have developed ways to measure levels of thousands of proteins in human blood samples. These protein levels can change due to slight differences in a person’s genetic makeup. Researchers have found thousands of these genetic changes, that are linked to changes in protein levels. Researchers may be able to find out which health conditions might be linked to changes in protein levels due to genetic differences. Which could allow doctors to provide earlier treatments for these conditions.