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Proteomics is the study of the complement of proteins (enzymes, hormones etc).  Scientists are very interested in proteomics because it gives a much better understanding of an organism than genomics.  The message of the gene is transcribed and then translated to ultimately produce a protein.  The protein undergoes many post-translational steps that can profoundly affect their activity.  The key requirement in understanding protein function is to learn to correlate the vast array of potential protein modifications to particular diseases or healthy states, and then determine if a particular post-translational modification is required for a function to occur.

Once a certain protein is implicated in a disease, computer software is used to design a drug to interact with the protein and interfere with the action of the protein.  For example, a molecule that irreversibly binds to the active site of an enzyme will inactivate the enzyme.  In Alzheimer’s disease, elevations in the enzyme beta secretase create amyloid/beta-protein, which causes plaque to build up in the patient's brain and which is thought to play a role in dementia. Targeting this enzyme decreases the amyloid/beta-protein and so slows the progression of the disease.

A computer technique which attempts to fit millions of small molecules to the three-dimensional structure of a protein is called "virtual ligand screening". The computer rates the quality of the fit to various sites in the protein, with the goal of either enhancing or disabling the function of the protein, depending on its function in the cell. A good example of this is the identification of new drugs to target and inactivate the HIV-1 protease. The HIV-1 protease is an enzyme that cleaves a very large HIV protein into smaller, functional proteins. The virus cannot survive without this enzyme; therefore, it is one of the most effective protein targets for killing HIV.  

There are many early stage, mid stage and well established company focused on the delivery of solutions within the field of proteomics.  It is our vision to use the resources and companies focused on proteomics to understand the diseases that are found in the Middle East, Far East and Africa and that are attributable to protein malfunction.

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