Researchers Use Olink® Explore to Identify Circulating Proteins That May Give Cancer Warning 7 Years Before Diagnosis

UPPSALA, Sweden, May 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Olink Holding AB (publ) (NASDAQ:OLK) today reported the publication of a landmark study using the Olink Explore platform to identify proteins in the blood that may provide a 7-year warning for various cancers.

The findings, published in Nature Communications, illustrate the tremendous potential of proteomics to revolutionize cancer detection, allowing for intervention at much earlier stages, potentially leading to better treatment outcomes and even prevention. 

Early Detection – A Game Changer.

In the groundbreaking work, conducted by Oxford Population Health and funded by Cancer Research UK, researchers describe how they used Olink's next-generation proteomics platform to analyze blood samples from over 44,000 individuals. They were able to pinpoint 371 proteins linked to 19 different cancers, including 107 proteins that were detectable in individuals more than seven years before cancer diagnosis.

"To save more lives from cancer, we need to better understand what happens at the earliest stages of the disease. Data from thousands of people with cancer has revealed really exciting insights into how the proteins in our blood can affect our risk of cancer. Now we need to study these proteins in depth to see which ones could be reliably used for prevention," said Dr Keren Papier, Senior Nutritional Epidemiologist at Oxford Population Health and joint first author of the study.

Olink – Unlocking the Power of Proteomics.

Olink's innovative proteomics solution played a pivotal role in the Oxford Population Health research. Owing to its scalability and specificity, researchers were able to accurately analyze a huge number of proteins across tens of thousands of samples, uncovering crucial information hidden within the human body's complex protein makeup. This study is a powerful example of how proteomics is driving a new era of discovery. "Over the past two decades, genomics has contributed tremendously to our understanding of human disease. Today, we are witnessing how technologies like Olink Explore are catalysing a revolution in our understanding of biological systems at an unprecedented scale," said Dr Joshua Atkins, Senior Genomic Epidemiologist within the Cancer Epidemiology Unit at the University of Oxford.

Details of the study will be presented as part of the Olink Proteomics Corporate Symposium at European Society of Human Genetics conference in Berlin on June 1 – 4. Dr Atkins, alongside other speakers, will describe how the UK Biobank Pharma Proteomics Project, the world's largest proteomics study backed by 13 leading pharmaceutical companies, analyzed samples from over 54,000 participants and identified over 20,000 novel genetic associations with plasma protein levels, finally helping to bridge the gap between genetics and disease pathology.

The Road Ahead – Refining and Developing Solutions.

While these findings hold immense promise for the future of cancer management, the research team emphasized the need for further investigation. Understanding the specific role these proteins play in cancer development and identifying the most reliable ones for testing are crucial next steps.

"This breakthrough research, enabled by the Olink platform and the UKB Pharma Proteomics project, offers a glimpse into a future where early cancer detection and preventive intervention becomes a reality," stated Carl Raimond, President, Olink. "With continued research and development, discoveries such as these have the potential to transform how disease is diagnosed, treated, and prevented."

Learn more about Olink's next-generation proteomics technologies at Olink.com.

Read the landmark Nature Communications paper here.

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About Olink

Olink Holding AB (NASDAQ:OLK) is a company dedicated to accelerating proteomics together with the scientific community, across multiple disease areas to enable new discoveries and improve the lives of patients. Olink provides a platform of products and services which are deployed across major pharmaceutical companies and leading clinical and academic institutions to deepen the understanding of real-time human biology and drive 21st century healthcare through actionable and impactful science. The Company was founded in 2016 and is well established across Europe, North America and Asia. Olink is headquartered in Uppsala, Sweden.

Forward-looking statements

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