The SomaLogic Blog

A new study led by SomaLogic researchers shows how measuring proteins in the blood can predict COVID-19 severity and could be used to monitor recovery and long-term consequences on the heart.

Use it or lose it! A common phrase heard in gyms, doctor offices, internet, etc., about muscles. The more that muscles are used, the stronger they become. The converse is true too.

Will this person (or I) respond well to the treatment? This is perhaps one of the most asked questions by all healthcare providers. What if our bodies themselves could supply the answer to that question? We think they can, and it all boils down to the proteins that make you, you.

“No pain, no gain.” Hard exercise has many benefits, but it also carries a risk beyond a sprained muscle or joint injury. We are talking about problems with the heart (Goodman, Burr, Banks, & Thomas, 2016; Guasch et al., 2013). So, a trade-off exists. Is there a way to know what the right balance is – realize the wonderful benefits exercise has to offer without increasing the risk of heart problems? Could the answer be lurking in blood?

Proteomics opens the door to many possibilities with regards to gaining a deeper understanding about the human body that could help patients and streamline medical care. For instance, analyzing protein expression patterns for diseases or ailments can reveal the biological pathways at play and find probable drug targets.

Heart transplantation can extend and improve the quality of life for the lucky recipient, but not without risk. Aside from organ rejection, the heart recipient is at risk for cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) (Ramzy et al., 2005)–hardening/thickening of the vessels in the heart.

If not caught early, mobility loss is difficult to reverse (Leveille, Penninx, Melzer, Izmirlian, & Guralnik, 2000). Therefore, the sooner the onset of disability is found the better the chances of not losing one’s independence. But how far ahead of time can a future loss of mobility be seen?

SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) is menacing. This is a given. But, how does it affect the body and cause all the problems we are seeing?

Genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics are all examples of the body’s many languages. Understanding these languages could open the door to new perspectives about what is happening in the body in real time and warn about health problems down the road. But which one (or combo) will be the easiest, clearest, and most meaningful for learning how to achieve better health?

What do you have in common with this chicken? Perplexed? So is the chicken. While the two of you may cross roads from time to time, the features that really bind the two of you together are proteins.

You may remember the classic Nash Rambler automobile. But you have probably never heard of the stealthy medical condition NASH (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis)

We are at war that does not involve firearms, but ventilators. The likes of the COVID-19 pandemic have not been seen since the decimations of the 1918 flu. With SomaLogic® advanced technology, we have a chance to prevent the same outcome. But we need comrades-in-arms to succeed.

With pregnancy comes not just new life, but also the collection of huge amounts of data and numerous doctor visits to ensure the health of the mother and child. The pregnant body undergoes myriad biological changes that can give rise to problems that yield a bad result that all involved want to avoid.

Depending on your preferred authority, “middle age” begins at 40 or 45, and ends 20 years later at the beginning of “old age.” These years are a time of transition across the population, particularly in physical status. But what if an individual’s proteins offer a different take on the meaning of middle age (and even old age)?

Poor guy. Since he was little, we knew he had the lungs of a whale. His cries reaffirmed this talent, echoing down the halls. He wants to go home, NOW!

You’ve heard of insulin, right? You probably know that it helps regulate blood sugar, that its levels rise and fall depending on what and when you eat, and that a lot of diabetics have to inject themselves with it. But did you know that insulin is a protein?

Do you know how many different hats you wear in a day? Think about all the different roles you may take on during the course of the day – parent, significant other, boss, employee, cook, cleaner, accountant, household zookeeper, negotiator, etc.

Another forgetful moment…Keys found in fridge…Was it just due to it being Monday, to a poor night’s sleep or could it be something more alarming? Events such as these can raise the hairs on most people’s necks. If it turns out to be something worse than just sleep-deprivation, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the person and loved ones may be in for rough and expensive ride lasting decades as the afflicted brain – and its memories and functions – is erased.

I’m like my dad in many ways — same nose, same horrible eyesight, same sense of humor. But when it comes to healthy lifespan, I’d really like to be more like my mom.