Biomarkers play an important role in assessing an individual’s health by providing unique insights into that individual’s health. These markers, which encompass proteins, chemicals, metabolites, and their interactions with the body, can now be detected using modern analytical technology.
There are seven distinct categories of biomarkers, each with its own specific purpose and significance.
Ready to learn more? Continue reading to take a closer look.
Predictive Biomarkers
Healthcare professionals utilize predictive biomarkers to evaluate an individual’s susceptibility to developing specific diseases or conditions, like cancer, as a result of medical product contact or exposure to certain environments, such as tobacco.
Predictive biomarkers are essential in guiding treatment decisions, including drug selection and procedural approaches, in patient care. Additionally, they are invaluable in medical product development, aiding in the selection and categorization of patients for clinical trials.
Monitoring Biomarkers
In healthcare, it’s important to track the progression of a disease to ensure treatment is effective. Monitoring biomarkers helps understand a body’s response to a particular therapy, which in turn helps healthcare providers make necessary adjustments to patient care. For example, when treating cancer, healthcare professionals use monitoring biomarkers to assess tumor growth, monitor therapeutic response, and detect early signs of disease recurrence.
Pharmacodynamic/Response Biomarkers
Pharmacodynamic or response biomarkers are utilized to indicate that a drug or treatment has had an impact on an individual’s body. These biomarkers serve as proof-of-concept for researchers. In other words, they are used as confirmation that a medical product has an effect on humans. Since many drugs are discarded during the development stage because they don’t have any effect on humans at all, pharmacodynamic biomarkers have great potential to facilitate more efficient drug development processes.
Diagnostic Biomarkers
Diagnostic biomarkers can be used to detect disease, and also aid in identifying specific subtypes or differentiating it from similar conditions. This work is key to timely intervention and improved patient outcomes.
Prognostic Biomarkers
When healthcare providers need to predict the outcome of a disease, they can analyze prognostic biomarkers. This analysis helps answer the following questions: How severe is the patient’s disease? What is the disease’s likely progression? Is the disease likely to come back? What’s the patient’s overall prognosis? Prognostic biomarkers are useful for customizing treatment plans and enhancing patient management strategies to improve patient survival rates.
Susceptibility/Risk Biomarkers
Biomarkers that indicate susceptibility or risk help identify an individual’s likelihood of developing a particular disease or condition. For instance, mutations in genes like BRCA1/2 can indicate a predisposition to breast cancer. These biomarkers play a vital role in risk assessment, empowering individuals to take preventive measures, adopt healthier lifestyles, or undergo regular screenings for early detection and intervention.
Safety Biomarkers
Safety biomarkers help assess the safety and potential side effects of a drug or therapeutic intervention. These biomarkers facilitate monitoring the impact of treatments on various organ systems and detecting any adverse reactions. Safety biomarkers play a crucial role in drug development, ensuring that potential risks and safety concerns are identified early in the process.
ITSI-Biosciences offers a wide selection of biomarker discovery/validation services to independent researchers and research teams that need to produce high-quality results quickly and at a reasonable price. Contact us to learn more.
