Decoding Hormone Interactions: Investigating Health Status Using Hormone Signatures in Blood

Abstract: Hormones are integral molecules in the human body, controlling most body systems and maintaining homeostasis in the body. They function as signal molecules for communication between cells, and are often secreted by one tissue with another as target. Protein hormones make up the majority of the hormones in the body, are mostly transported in the bloodstream, and bind to receptors on the cell surface since they can not diffuse through cell membranes. Hormones and their associated proteins are linked to many diseases, and could therefore have a lot of potential as biomarkers. With the use of the company Olink’s Proximity Extension Assay (PEA) technology the concentrations of human proteins in blood can be measured. These proteins can be combined into different sets, called panels, to measure biomarkers related to specific diseases or conditions. This project aimed to identify the protein hormones of the human body, and investigate their associated proteins and the pathways and potential diseases they were related to. Suggestions of new panels based on disease areas that were found to be particularly related to protein hormones were also to be put forward. Databases such as UniProt, Reactome, String, Signor, Olink Insight, and the Human Protein Atlas were used to investigate protein hormones and their associated proteins. The result of the research was compiled into three different panels: the overall Protein Hormone panel, the Wellness panel, and the Diabetes panel. These panels were based on the disease areas commonly found associated with protein hormones, and that were deemed to be of interest to Olink and to the research community. The research also resulted in a table detailing all found protein hormones with additional info on pathways and diseases, normal concentrations of the proteins in blood or plasma, and the associations between the hormones and other proteins. The financial viability and marketability of the suggested panels were also investigated in a business case. It was determined that the development of the new panels had potential to be of significant importance to research efforts, healthcare providers, and individual patients. While there are some risks associated with developing and marketing new products, it was concluded that the economical potential of the panels make them an opportunity worth considering for Olink.