RE: Exploring the cross-cancer effect of circulating proteins and discovering potential intervention targets for 13 site-specific cancers.

The article discusses a study that used mendelian randomization to evaluate the effect of plasma proteins on the risk of 13 different cancers. The study found evidence of the effects of 39 proteins on the risk of 7 cancers. However, the authors of the response letter raise concerns about the methodology used in the study, particularly the reliance on trans-protein quantitative trait loci as instruments, which may introduce bias and violate the assumptions of mendelian randomization. They argue that careful evaluation of methods and interpretation of findings is necessary when using protein mendelian randomization. [Extracted from the article]