Biomarker (medicine)

Biomarker (medicine)

A biomarker in medicine is a measurable indicator of the severity or presence of some disease state. More generally, a biomarker is anything that can be used as an indicator of a particular disease state or some other physiological state of an organism.

Definition

A biomarker can be a substance that is introduced into an organism as a means to examine organ function or other aspects of health. It can also be a substance whose detection indicates a particular disease state, for example, the presence of an antibody may indicate an infection. More specifically, a biomarker indicates a change in expression or state of a protein that correlates with the risk or progression of a disease, or with the susceptibility of the disease to a given treatment.

Types of Biomarkers

Biomarkers can be classified into different types based on different criteria. They can be classified based on their characteristics such as molecular biomarkers, cellular biomarkers, imaging biomarkers, and genetic biomarkers.

Uses

Biomarkers are used in many scientific fields including medicine, pharmacology, environmental science, and geology. In medicine, they are used for diagnosis, prognosis, prediction and assessment of disease progression, and monitoring the clinical response to an intervention.

Challenges

Despite their potential health benefits, the use of biomarkers in medicine is not without its challenges. These include the identification of reliable biomarkers, the establishment of their relevance in different disease states, and the development of accurate and reliable methods for their detection and quantification.

See also

• Diagnostic marker
• Prognostic marker
• Predictive marker
• Pharmacodynamic marker