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Chinese Researchers Lead Human Liver Proteome Project

Posted on: Wednesday, 2 November 2005, 18:01 CST

By Jia Hepeng

With the launch of a major international research project in China, a new chapter in the quest to develop medicines and even cures for diseases has begun. This time, scientists hope to find some answers in human liver proteins.

Scientists declared on October 29 that the Beijing Proteomics Research Centre has officially been established. The centre will become the official headquarters of the international Human Liver Proteome Project (HLPP).

"HLPP is the first major international project led by the Chinese scientists in life science. The completion of this centre marks an important step for us towards attaining the leading position in human science," said He Fuchu, head of HLPP and deputy director of the Chinese Academy of Military Medical Sciences.

He said that the Chinese Government is very likely to pump another 2 billion yuan (US$246.91 million) into the project in its second stage, between 2006 and 2010, as it has already promised. The government had invested 200 million yuan (US$24.15 million) between 2002 and this year.

HLPP is a major initiative of the international Human Proteome Project co-ordinated by Human Proteome Organization (HUPO) in 2001. The proteome has been defined as the entire complement of proteins used by a cell, organism, or tissue type.

The international proteome project was launched after the international human genomic project was finished. The latter project was aimed at discovering all the genetic sequences in human beings and finding the genetic bases of human diseases.

However, according to scientists, although the gene map is complete, only the functions of about 10 per cent of genes are known.

Scientists then decided to work on human proteins, which are the results of gene expressions.

According to He, HLPP is led by the Chinese scientists not only because of their high capacities, but also because China has been seriously afflicted by liver diseases, such as hepatitis B and C.

China's death toll from hepatitis B represented 25 per cent of the world's deaths in 2002. Annual medical costs for liver diseases are over 50 billion yuan (US$6.04 billion) each year.

HLPP is the first initiative launched in the Human Proteome Project. Since 2002, Chinese scientists and their international counterparts have identified 3,000 human embryo liver proteins, 5,000 French adult liver proteins and 12,000 Chinese liver proteins. They offer a sufficient base to reveal the development of the human liver and its functions, He says.

In addition, scientists under HLPP have obtained the functions of 100 kinds of proteins and made more than 1,000 antibodies proteins playing as a defence against virus, bacteria and abnormal cell invasion.

"They can become drug targets to develop a series of new medicines," He said.

Other initiatives under the international Human Proteome Project include the Human Plasma Proteome Project led by the United States, the Human Brain Proteome Project led by Germany, and the Human Proteome Standardization Initiative led by the British scientists.

Source: China Daily; North American ed.

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