Indian Scientists Map 17,000 Proteins For First Time In The World

Indian Scientists Map 17,000 Proteins For First Time In The World

Scientists at Bangalore's Institute of Bioinfromatics, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in collaboration with American scientists from Johns Hopkins University to map around 17,000 proteins in 30 organs of the body. This is the first time in the world that a mapping of this magnitude has been carried out.

Much like the sequencing of the human genome at the beginning of the millennium, the mapping of the human proteome has occurred. The work completed by the scientists of NIMHANS in partnership with the American researchers will be published in the journal Nature soon. 46 out of 72 researchers who were involved in this project are Indians.

This scientific discovery has a vast number of important implications for finding the origins of many diseases. According to scientist Keshava Prasad of NIMHANS, the profile of normal proteins are compared with those profiles of those who suffer from particular medical conditions. This can have numerous implications for the identification of etiology and symptoms of the disease.

There is an estimated 20,500 number of proteins in the human body. Scientists have currently mapped 17,294 of these. This is about 84% of the total proteins. The team of scientists have also traced 2,500 of about 3,000 proteins which are known as missing proteins. The research team also found 200 new proteins and holds that there may be more proteins yet to be discovered.

The director and VC of NIMHANS, Dr. Satishchandra has discussed how this is a major triumph for the scientific world to have mapped so many proteins in the human body. This team completed the project in 2 years. This was a perfect combination of technology and knowledge. Scientist Harsh Gowda from the Institute of Bioinformatics has discussed how the proteomes profiling is more tougher because they display varied expression in different types of human organs.

The mapping of the proteins was conducted on 30 different types of human tissues including brain, blood cells and liver. Many of these tissues were obtained from the NIMHANS brain bank. The protein were found to differ in fetuses and adults, providing ideas about the specific role of some proteins in aiding human development. More work will be done in the area of mapping brain proteomes. The brain is the most mysterious part of the human body. Its true potential is yet to be unearthed.

This particular research project was carried out using Orbitrap Velos mass spectrometers costing approximately 5 crores. Around 3.5 crores was also spent on the project. A world class instrument Orbitrap Fusion Mass Spectrometer worth 7.5 crore had been imported from Germany for this work. Scientists have also discovered a total of 193 human proteins previously undiscovered. This research has yielded the first comprehensive map of the human proteome.

New findings based on this protein mapping can have tremendous value for medicine and healthcare. It can also contribute to important information for evolutionary and developmental specialists. Proteins are complex molecules for following the instructions of genes. They are important for building and regulating the tissues and organs of the human body. The body's proteins can reveal important directions for diagnostics and drug development. In fact, scientists have discussed how this medical discovery will change the way in which heart diseases as well as cancers can be diagnosed and treated.