The human protein atlas: A spatial map of the human proteome

The correct spatial distribution of proteins is vital for their function and often mis-localization or ectopic expression leads to diseases. For more than a decade, the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) has constituted a valuable tool for researchers studying protein localization and expression in human tissues and cells. The centerpiece of the HPA is its unique antibody collection for mapping the entire human proteome by immunohistochemistry and immunocytochemistry. By these approaches, more than 10 million images showing protein expression patterns at a single-cell level were generated and are publicly available at www.proteinatlas.org. The antibody-based approach is combined with transcriptomics data for an overview of global expression profiles. The present article comprehensively describes the HPA database functions and how users can utilize it for their own research as well as discusses the future path of spatial proteomics.