An integrated workflow combines proteomics and genomics data to discover unknown coding regions in the human genome

Professor Janne Lehtiö and coworkers at the department of Oncology-Pathology have published an article in Nature Communications describing their new Integrated Proteogenomics Analysis Workflow (IPAW). The method enables a more reliable identification of novel peptides.

Proteins are the main molecules of life, serving as building blocks of any living organism, carrying out cellular functions and mediating signals in our bodies. In the last two decades, the colossal amount of genomics data gathered has improved our understanding of diseases and helped finding targets for drug development, but drugs target mainly proteins. Hence, genomics data only show part of the picture, protein level information is needed to understand biology in health and diseases.

IPAW improves the combined analysis of proteomics and genomics data allowing detection of mutated genes on protein level and finding entirely new protein coding genes. Exploring normal and cancer cells in this perspective should reveal cancer-specific proteins, which in the future can be used as targets to harness the immune system to attack cancer.

Publication

Discovery of coding regions in the human genome by integrated proteogenomics analysis workflow.
Zhu Y, Orre L, Johansson H, Huss M, Boekel J, Vesterlund M, et al
Nat Commun 2018 03;9(1):903