If there’s one common thread that unites us all, it’s the desire to maintain our health and vitality throughout our lifetimes and old age. When diseases like cancer or Alzheimer’s strike, the lack of easy treatments can drastically impact our lives. Imagine a future where early, non-invasive tests and better treatments for Alzheimer’s and cancer are a reality. What’s holding us back from these breakthroughs?

The key is to understand our proteins, the workhorses of cells, with a new and unprecedented level of detail.

Proteins play a critical role in human health and disease. Here’s how:

Revolutionary Diagnostics:

Proteomics enables the precise diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases and elusive cancers that are currently difficult and costly to identify. Early and accurate detection paves the way for timely and effective treatments, saving lives and reducing healthcare expenses.

Precision Medicine:

Proteomics enables more precise and targeted treatments that significantly enhance patient outcomes. This precision approach is crucial as we aim to improve the quality of life for an aging global population. Understanding proteins not only illuminates the processes of aging, but also holds the promise of enhancing longevity and curbing the escalating costs of medical care.

Chemistry of Life Processes Institute is at the forefront of protein-informed medicine. CLP faculty members are innovators and entrepreneurs who work collaboratively to solve the biggest challenges in human health. Some recent advancements led by CLP members include:

• New drugs targeting proteins involved in liver and pancreatic cancers
• The first-ever potential therapy to treat degenerating upper motor neurons that cause ALS
• A new compound that shows promise against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease

In the past decade alone, CLP research has resulted in more than 75 new drug candidates, medical devices, and diagnostics that are progressing toward clinical trials. In addition, more than 30 new companies have evolved from the work at CLP, leading to additional external investments that move proteomics research to the next level. By merging excellence in protein-informed medicine with cutting-edge technology development, CLP is ushering in an era of precision medicine.

The Human Proteoform Project

Under the visionary leadership of Neil Kelleher, PhD, an internationally recognized proteomics expert, CLP is spearheading an ambitious initiative to map the entire human proteome.Kelleher cofounded the Consortium for Top-Down Proteomics and now serves as president of the organization’s Board of Directors. The Consortium is a 501c3 non-profit corporation with international members from across academia, industry and government. Its mission is to accelerate the comprehensive analysis of all human proteoforms produces from the genome providing the bridge from genotype to phenotype. In October 2023, CLP hosted the second International Top-Down Proteomics Conference, a gathering of more than 200 scientists in the field who share a common mission to transform medicine through proteoform-informed science and innovation.roteomics enables the precise diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases and elusive cancers that are currently difficult and costly to identify. Early and accurate detection paves the way for timely and effective treatments, saving lives and reducing healthcare expenses.