What is Biomarker? |
What is Biomarker?
A Biomarker is an indicator to measure the biological, and physiological state of a living being. It is also known as a biological marker. Biomarkers are used to aid diagnose disease,
track the development of disease, and regression, detect pathological processes and
respond to therapeutic therapies. Biomarkers include any substance that can
identify disease including every bio-molecule structure to whole DNA, protein, and gene structure.
A good Biomarker must have the following characteristics:
- Particular to specific illness and must determine physical and biological states
- Predict disease independently without the medical information
- Inexpensive
- Readily measurable and is secured
- Provide quick diagnosis
- Can provide precise results
Categories of Biomarkers:
- 1. Molecules measured based on their biophysical characters
- 2. Radiographic Imaging tests
- 3. Histological tests include cell, tissue, and fluids which are biochemical in nature
- 4. Physiological including body functions
Examples of Biomarkers:
Biomarkers are the quantifying indicator to assess the presence
and absence of disease and outcomes of treatment. Blood pressure, heart rate,
blood sugar, ultrasound studies, histological study, gene analyses, and all
metabolic studies come under examples of biomarkers. Large numbers of biomarkers
are in extensive use and have undergone research such as blood levels, urine, and
heart rate. Biomarkers measure diseases
that have strong correlations. For instance, If the blood pressure systolic is
high then it is linked to brain stroke risk, while low systolic blood pressure
is preferable. High cholesterol is linked to the risk of heart attack and less LDL
cholesterol is better. Another example of biomarker includes C- Reactive protein. CRP determines inflammation
leading to swelling in a targeted region of the body
Examples of Biomarker |
Types of Biomarkers:
Pharmacodynamics Biomarkers: This biomarker aids in identifying a drug’s physiological
effects and can reveal whether this therapy is providing the desired effect on the patient.
Diagnostic Biomarkers: These markers detect and diagnose
disease in a patient who is not getting his treatment. This is used for
categorizing disease for instance classification of cancer identification by electron microscopy. Example cystic fibrosis disease, cervical cancer, heart failure.
Predictive Biomarkers: These biomarkers identify patients who
will particularly respond in a favorable way to the treatment. Treatment would
be provided to those patients to whom it would be beneficial.
Alternative Biomarkers: This biomarker is an indicator to provide
clinical results.
Monitoring Biomarkers:
To evaluate the presence of disease, its state, extent, and medical condition
and to measure response to the disease intervention.
Analytical Biomarkers: This biomarker assesses the
recurrence and development of disease in patients. To identify the progress and
medical condition of the patient.
Susceptibility Biomarkers:
The biomarker access the risk of a patient diagnosed with a disease to the patient without carrying the disease.
Safety Biomarkers: To access drug’s adverse effects, medical
issues, and environmental hazards.
Types of Biomarkers and Cancer Biomarker |
Cancer Biomarker:
Cancer biomarkers are physiological substances produced by a cancer patient’s body called tumors. Biomarkers are tumor-specific DNA or protein which can be tested by genome testing. Cancer biomarkers will screen the likelihood that a cancer disease will develop, reproduce, and respond to a certain treatment.
Cancer Biomarkers are used to check various kinds of cancer, identify the risk associated with those cancers, provide precise medication, and track patient reactions to cancer treatment. These biomarkers determine whether the treatment is effective for a particular patient. They track the growth of the tumor to assess whether the treatment is working.
After identification of the cancer biomarker next step is to evaluate
whether the gene alteration which is causing tumor growth can be cured with
medicine. Although not all cancer has identifiable biomarkers nowadays
novel targeted therapeutic medications that disrupt the growth of tumors are
being created. Four cancer biomarker treatments are:
Immunotherapy treatment: This therapy response has
revolutionized the way cancer is treated but not every patient responds in the
same way, to evaluate which patient has an advantage from which sort of
immunotherapy, new biomarkers are developing which could assess immune
response.
Lipid Biopsy: Lipid
operation evaluates tumor DNA. In addition to assessing how a tumor responds
and how it develops resistance to particular treatment based on new genetic
changes discovered in repeated blood tests, a blood sample is drawn that could identify
alterations to produce precise treatment.
Clinical Outcome of Disease: When the screening by lipid
biopsy has been completed and disease is not visible on radiology which detects the absence of disease. Further, blood testing is required to detect slight remaining cancer
disease at the molecular level.
Then , a type of biomarker known Pharmacodynamic marker evaluates if the medicine is working on a patient by observing
genetic alterations of the tumor before and after treatment therapy.
Applications of Biomarkers:
Drug Development:
Novel biomarkers are used to produce new drugs. Biomarkers can play an important role in drug design because they can target therapeutic drugs by
identifying the disease’s biological pathway.
Biomarkers assist us in understanding the working of possible therapies.
Screening:
Biomarkers provide screening for the health and physical
condition of other patients. For example in the case of male colon cancer. The applications of biomarkers are
applied in a variety of disciplines and scientific domains. These novel biomarkers are prospering in the area of pharmacology and
toxicology studies.
Conclusion:
Recent advancements in biomarkers have reached a new era with the possibility of early disease detection and efficient and effective therapy of many diseases with the developments in molecular biology. Biomarkers have entered the field of clinical trials to assess the efficiency of a specific therapy.
Traditional techniques require sufficient data and are time-consuming
and require expensive clinical research. But Biomarkers have reduced clinical
trial duration time and also accelerated regulatory approval of the drug development
process. Analyzing one biomarker without
understanding others produce incorrect findings. Because several biomarkers
have more impact to produce comprehensive outcomes so for this required multiple
biomarkers to provide outcomes more accurately.
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