The pharmaceutical industry faces significant challenges as costs rise and regulatory authorities demand a more precision-medicine-based approach to drug development.
Olink's PEA technology is increasingly being used in a research setting to identify potential new drug targets and for exploratory analysis of samples from clinical trials to discover proteins that can discriminate relevant groups of individual, predict responses, and gain insights into disease biology and drug mechanisms of action.
This article presents some recent outstanding studies that demonstrate the critical relevance of protein biomarker research that may lead to the future identification and development of novel treatments.
Multiomic profiling of atherosclerotic instability
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is still a major global health concern, with a high risk of death and morbidity from myocardial infarction (MI) or ischemic stroke.
Patients with unstable, symptomatic atherosclerotic disease have a more than tenfold higher annual risk of stroke than those with stable, asymptomatic disease.
Researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and Novo Nordisk A/S in Denmark conducted an unprecedented investigation of samples from patients with carotid stenosis, combining multiomic data collected both locally from atherosclerotic plaques and peripheral circulation.
By integrating transcriptomics, metabolomics, and proteomics measured using five Olink® Target 96 panels, they used the data integration analysis for biomarker discovery with latent components (DIABLO) machine learning approach to derive molecular signatures related to atherosclerotic plaque stability, CVD outcomes, and therapeutic responses.
Proteomics discovered 15 proteins that were substantially linked with atherosclerotic disease symptoms and overlapped in plasma samples from both the peripheral circulation and plaque lesions.
- Novel proteins such as ICOSLG, PCOLCE, FUT5, CCL20, CA6, and KITLG were included with recognized atherosclerosis indicators.
- Both sample types showed upregulation of chemokine signaling and cytokine-receptor interaction pathways. However, the IL-17 pathway was only enriched locally.
Integrated multiomics revealed unique symptomatology-associated transcript, metabolite, and protein profiles that differed when examined peripherally, at the disease site, or at the intersection of these compartments.
- FABP4, IL6, Bilirubin, and Sphingomyelin were the most significant analytes peripherally, followed by F11, ANGPTL3, ICOSLG, ITGB1, and Sphingomyelin locally. FABP4, C1R, IL6, Bilirubin, and Sphingomyelin were prominent at the junction.
- Pathway analysis identified coagulation, necroptosis, inflammation, and cholesterol metabolism as major factors influencing symptomatology.
Higher ANGPTL3 levels in the peripheral plasma were found to be strongly related to more frequent major adverse cardiac events and all-cause mortality.
- Prioritized targets from multiomic analysis tested well against the public OpenTargets platform, indicating genetic involvement of F11, C1S, EGFR, IL6, and ANGPTL3 in cardiovascular disorders
The targets presented here could have paradigm-shifting implications, especially for enabling tailored therapies and precision medicine in the fight against carotid atherosclerosis.
Das et al. 2026
A novel proteomics approach to identify immunomodulatory drugs that could be repurposed for psychiatric conditions
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a moderately prevalent neuropsychiatric condition that affects more than 250 million people globally, posing a considerable economic and healthcare resource burden.
Evidence indicates that a subset of MDD patients have a dysregulated immune system, implying pathophysiological similarities with seemingly unrelated diseases.
Scientists at Mount Sinai's Icahn School of Medicine in New York investigated whether the proteomic profiles of MDD samples are similar to those from the inflammatory skin diseases atopic dermatitis (AD) and psoriasis (PS), for which targeted immunomodulatory drugs have revolutionized treatment.
Using various Olink® Target 96 panels, they looked for shared dysregulated proteins in MDD, AD, and PS and used a computational technique to investigate repurposing prospects to treat MDD with existing medications licensed for AD or PS therapy.
All three disorders had distinct protein profiles, although a subset of proteins, including the Th2 cytokines CCL13 and CCL17, the Th1 cytokines CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL11, and T-cell markers CD40LG and TNFSF14, were dysregulated in all three patient groups.
Pathway analysis verified common enrichment, indicating Th2 up-regulation in all three diseases.
Dupilumab, an anti-IL-4Rα monoclonal antibody commonly used to treat Alzheimer's disease, was found as a possible candidate for repurposing based on in silico druggability analysis of shared proteins.
- Clinical trials of dupilumab for Alzheimer's disease found that the treatment altered several Th2 proteins linked to both AD and MDD.
In a mouse model of psychosocial stress, inhibiting IL-4Rα reduced stress-induced behaviors.
The back-translational drug repurposing strategy employed in this study may offer a novel approach to identify immunomodulatory drugs in psychiatry.
He et al. 2026
Biomarker insights from a clinical trial for mRNA CAR-T cell therapy for myasthenia gravis
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapies have the potential to alter the treatment of autoimmune disease by resetting the immune system, but adoption has been limited by challenges such as inpatient therapy, the risk of cytokine release syndrome, and non-specific immunosuppression.
In an exploratory study, Cartesian Therapeutics (MA, USA) employed the Olink® Target 96 Inflammation panel to measure cytokine responses in samples from individuals with generalized myasthenia gravis (MG) in a phase 2b clinical trial. They were treated with Descartes-08, an autologous, RNA-encoded anti-B cell maturation antigen (BCMA) CAR-T cell therapy. This could help overcome some of these key limitations.
In the main clinical trial, Descartes-08 was administered in an outpatient environment and demonstrated long-term clinical efficacy.
- Multiomic analysis showed precise retuning of self-reactivity, including increased pro-immune function and decreased activity of BCMA+ plasma cells and plasmacytoid dendritic cells.
Olink analysis revealed that the use of Descartes-08 was not associated with protein alterations indicating undesirable CAR-T cell therapy-induced inflammation. After three months, there was a positive effect on the reduction of multiple autoimmunity markers, particularly IL-6, IL-24, CCL19, and ARTN.
Several additional proteins associated with autoimmune inflammation and immune reset, such as EN-RAGE, TRAIL, and TNFSF14, decreased by month 12.
- TGF-β1, which plays a role in immunological reset following CAR-T cell therapy, decreased after 12 months.
The specific changes in immune signatures without broad suppression support a precision immune reset that results in durable clinical improvement.
Fedak et al. 2026
A custom biomarker panel defines CKD-associated protein responses to Dulaglutide
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major complication of type 2 diabetes (T2D), affecting 20–50% of diabetes patients globally. Drugs such as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) provide significant benefits in this area.
Scientists at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston and Eli Lilly in Indianapolis conducted a post-hoc, exploratory proteomic analysis of samples from the AWARD-7 clinical trial for dulaglutide (Dula), a long-acting GLP-1RA medication.
Previous biomarker identification investigations found 64 circulating proteins that were strongly linked to an increased risk of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) in diabetic patients.
They these findings to create a 21-protein Olink® Focus panel known as the Joslin Kidney Panel (JKP), which contained critical ESKD-associated indicators such as TNF receptors, immunoregulatory and other receptors, ligands, and inhibitors.
This panel was used to track longitudinal changes in plasma levels in samples from trial participants taking Dula or the insulin analog glargine.
While 14 JKP markers increased in response to glargine over six months, they reduced in Dula-treated individuals, with statistically significant differences between groups.
- Significant variations were seen in eight TNF receptors, inflammatory mediators, and apoptotic markers.
Patients were stratified by major clinical features at baseline, and the effects of Dula in the measured samples differed depending on these parameters.
- Dula had a three-fold greater effect on circulating JKP proteins in samples from individuals with severe renal failure compared to those with mild kidney impairment, as evaluated by eGFR.
Differences in JKP protein responses to Dula were also observed when stratified by other important clinical factors such as BMI, HbA1c, or UARC.
These novel observations suggest that the effect of Dula is conditional on levels of baseline clinical variables. Thus, physicians can identify individuals who, in the long term, may benefit the most from Dula treatment regarding reduction in risk of kidney outcome by examining the six-month decline in concentration of JKP proteins in circulation according to the baseline levels of clinical variables.
McFarlin et al. 2026
© 2026 Olink Proteomics AB, part of Thermo Fisher Scientific. Olink products and services are For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.
About Olink®- Part of Thermo Fisher Scientific
Olink’s mission is to accelerate proteomics together with the scientific community, to understand real-time biology and gain actionable insights into human health and disease. Our innovative solutions deliver highly sensitive and accurate protein quantification, giving scientists the power to investigate complex biological processes with precision.
One platform. Endless possibilities.
Explore up to 5,400 proteins with high specificity, transparent data, and the flexibility to answer any research question. Meet the next-generation proteomics platform trusted by the scientific community, from small academic research teams through to leading pharma companies.
For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.
Sponsored Content Policy: News-Medical.net publishes articles and related content that may be derived from sources where we have existing commercial relationships, provided such content adds value to the core editorial ethos of News-Medical.net, which is to educate and inform site visitors interested in medical research, science, medical devices and treatments.