Proteas Health, Inc.

We are proud to announce that our latest work entitled “Protein–protein interaction network-based integration of GWAS and functional data for blood pressure (BP) regulation analysis” co-authored by E-P Tsare, MI Klapa & NK Moschonas, has been published in Human Genomics. In this study, we introduced an integrated workflow for upgrading the information content of ΒP-GWAS data through PPI network analysis, starting from the development of a systematically curated BP-GWAS meta-database, combining GWAS data with their transcript effects and eQTL measurements, leading to their projection on the human PPI network and to the definition of an integrated GWAS-based prioritization criterion for BP-associated genes. The projection of the data on the PPI network revealed connected and non-connected components, which we linked through shortest paths considering the intermediate nodes as also related to BP. Indeed, pathway enrichment analysis revealed many BP-enriched pathways, indicating underlying mechanisms and targets for drugs and therapeutic treatments. The role of each protein-node based on network metrics provided a second BP-protein prioritization criterion. A third prioritization criterion revealed the intermediate nodes that are common neighbors of GWAS-prioritized proteins. The integrated BP-prioritization set was topped by the proteins satisfying at least two of the prioritization criteria. ESR1 emerged as the most BP-significant. This study extends our knowledge about blood pressure regulation and could be effectively applied to GWAS datasets of any multifactorial disease. https://lnkd.in/deeCqxcQ

What Do We Die From? 12/21/23 Talking about death at this time of the year seems anathema to the spirit of the holidays. Nonetheless, I bring it up because it may somehow entice some - and hopefully many - to retool their New Year’s resolution list. As the superb enclosed graphic accurately displays, cardiovascular diseases are by far and away the number one killer in the world, almost twice as frequent as cancer and 2.4x as likely as all infectious diseases combined (this ratio was likely NOT true however during the pandemic). And when we say “cardiovascular diseases” we are mostly referring to myocardial infarction (heart attacks due to coronary artery disease) and cerebrovascular accidents (stroke). My allusion to New Year’s resolution comes down to the following: the risk factors for heart attacks and strokes are the same: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, genetics and age. While we can’t do much about the latter two, we have at our disposal a large armamentarium of (cheap) medications, monitors (blood pressure machines covered by insurance, wireless blood glucose sensors), smoking cessation options, and tests (hgbA1c level, blood lipids) to be able to control these risk factors. And getting of our asses with greater frequency and vigor, sleeping more, and interacting with humans instead of screens all indubitably help as well. For 2024, if you have ANY or ALL of the above, please make an appointment to see your primary care doctor to make sure you are receiving optimal medical therapies and longitudinal monitoring of these serious risk factors. But ultimately, it is YOUR responsibility to make and show up to the appointments, take the prescribed pills, have your blood tests and follow up. You should also recognize that these risk factors not only lead to heart attacks and stroke but to myriad other conditions: 1. Kidney failure from uncontrolled blood pressure and/or diabetes 2. Retinopathy/blindness due to uncontrolled diabetes 3. Amputations due to uncontrolled diabetes 4. Smoking related cancers - lung, head and neck, stomach, pancreas, bladder and smoking related lung failure/emphysema/COPD 5. Aortic aneurysm rupture or dissection due to uncontrolled high blood pressure. Taking these risks factors on for 2024 is the best present you can give yourself and your loved ones. It may avoid you having to meet people like me !! Please note the chart (latest available) is from 2019 so figures will have changed for the pandemic years 2020-22, but should return to look like this one thereafter #cardiovasculardisease #causeofdeath #hypertension #diabetes #smokingcessation