Biomarker (medicine)
Biomarker (medicine)
Biomarker (pronounced: /ˈbaɪoʊˌmɑːrkər/), in the field of 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.
Etymology
The term "biomarker" is a portmanteau of "biological marker". The term "biological marker" was introduced in 1950s. The abbreviated term "biomarker" was coined in 1980s.
Definition
A biomarker refers to a broad subcategory of medical markers that are objectively measured and evaluated as indicators of normal biological processes, pathogenic processes, or pharmacologic responses to a therapeutic intervention. Biomarkers are used in many scientific fields.
Types of Biomarkers
Biomarkers used for medicine, or Precision Medicine, are typically categorized as either prognostic or predictive. Prognostic Biomarkers indicate the likelihood of patient outcome regardless of a specific treatment. Predictive Biomarkers are used to help optimize ideal treatments, and are often used to assess the likely benefit from a specific therapy.
Related Terms
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Biomarker (medicine)
- Wikipedia's article - Biomarker (medicine)
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