Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) and other institutions today announced the launch of the Human Dark Proteome Initiative (HDPI). The initiative aims to accelerate research into biology’s “invisible mass” to provide novel insights into cell function and a new frontier in drug discovery.
The term “dark proteome” describes the large portion of the proteome—the complete collection of proteins in an organism—that do not adopt defined 3D structures. These little-studied proteins make up about one third of the human proteome and control many aspects of cellular behavior. Recent developments in technology, including advances in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy methods, now make it possible to look in detail at these “intrinsically disordered proteins” (IDPs) and the “intrinsically disordered regions” (IDRs) of these molecules.
“Our goal is to raise awareness about the potential societal impacts of a broad-based research infrastructure for these understudied proteins,” said Richard Kriwacki, Ph.D., a member of the St. Jude Department of Structural Biology and of the HDPI. “We also want to develop educational programs that will address the origins and potential cures of devastating diseases affected by these proteins that afflict large numbers of patients across the world.”
“IDPs are involved in heart disease, infectious disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and many neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease,” said Peter Wright, Ph.D., who is Cecil H. and Ida M. Green Investigator at TSRI and chair of the HDPI. “We need to advance our understanding of the functions and molecular mechanisms of these proteins so we can work toward better therapies for these debilitating diseases.”
The Executive Committee of the Human Dark Proteome Initiative includes (left to right): Richard Kriwacki of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Peter Wright of The Scripps Research Institute; Rohit V. Pappu of Washington University in St. Louis; Jean Baum of Rutgers University; and Jeffrey Hoch of UConn Health. Other members not shown are: Arthur G. Palmer III of Columbia University and Steven Finkbeiner of the University of California, San Francisco.
Wright and Kriwacki emphasized that dramatically expanded investment in basic and translational research into the dark proteome is needed to achieve the full potential for understanding and developing cures for many devastating diseases.
Many of the members of the new Human Dark Proteome Initiative were in Memphis last week for the Intrinsically Disordered Proteins session at the Southeastern/Southwestern Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society.
Joining Kriwacki and Wright in spearheading the initiative are researchers from Columbia University (Arthur G. Palmer III), Rutgers University (Jean Baum), UConn Health (Jeffrey Hoch), University of California, San Francisco (Steven Finkbeiner) and Washington University in St. Louis (Rohit V. Pappu).
Additional information about the Human Dark Proteome Initiative can found at darkproteome.org.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. Treatments developed at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to 80 percent since the hospital opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude freely shares the breakthroughs it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing and food—because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. To learn more, visit stjude.org or follow St. Jude at @stjuderesearch.
About The Scripps Research Institute
The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) is one of the world's largest independent, not-for-profit organizations focusing on research in the biomedical sciences. TSRI is internationally recognized for its contributions to science and health, including its role in laying the foundation for new treatments for cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, hemophilia, and other diseases. An institution that evolved from the Scripps Metabolic Clinic founded by philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps in 1924, the institute now employs about 2,700 people on its campuses in La Jolla, CA, and Jupiter, FL, where its renowned scientists—including two Nobel laureates—work toward their next discoveries. The institute's graduate program, which awards PhD degrees in biology and chemistry, ranks among the top ten of its kind in the nation. For more information, see www.scripps.edu.
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