The Genetics Podcast
EP 178: Expanding the human proteome to facilitate drug discovery with John Lepore of ProFound Therapeutics
Mar 13, 2025
John Lepore, physician-scientist and CEO of ProFound Therapeutics, shares insights on expanding the human proteome to discover novel drug targets. He discusses the creation of the ProFoundry atlas and its role in integrating genomic data. The conversation highlights innovative drug discovery methods, collaboration with Pfizer for obesity research, and strategies for biotech firms to engage with pharma partners. John’s background as a cardiologist informs his approach, emphasizing the connection between scientific research and patient care.
39:37
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Quick takeaways
- ProFound Therapeutics aims to expand the human proteome to uncover novel drug targets, enhancing drug discovery beyond traditional protein identification.
- Innovative methodologies like ribosomal profiling facilitate linking unrecognized proteins to diseases, highlighting new therapeutic opportunities and patient-specific responses.
Deep dives
The Expanded Proteome and Novel Drug Targets
The concept of the expanded proteome challenges the traditional understanding of proteins derived from the Human Genome Project, which identified approximately 20,000 proteins. This initiative suggests that there may be far more proteins that have remained unrecognized due to previous limitations in defining what constitutes a protein. Researchers at Profound Therapeutics employ innovative methods, such as ribosomal profiling, to identify these additional proteins by analyzing open reading frames and smaller peptides that were previously ignored. This approach aims to unlock a new realm of potential drug targets, significantly broadening the scope of drug discovery beyond the commonly researched proteins.
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