The Role of Biomarkers In Modern Medicine

A biomarker (short for biological marker) is a measurable indicator of some biological state or condition. The biomarker can be measured objectively and consistently. Biomarkers play significant roles in today's clinical medicine. The Biomarker allows clinicians to detect illness, predict its course and the effectiveness of treatment. One example of a commonly used biomarker in medicine is prostate-specific antigen (PSA). The search for more cost-effective, measurable biomarkers continues to drive the pharmaceutical industry. The more biomarkers clinicians will have in their toolbox the closer we will get to precision medicine.