Biomarkers: Essential for precision diagnosis and therapy

David Nguyen

doi:10.35841/aatr-9.2.179

Short Communication - Journal of Translational Research (2025) Volume 9, Issue 2

Biomarkers: Essential for precision diagnosis and therapy

David Nguyen^*

Department of Molecular Diagnostics, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia

*Corresponding Author:: David Nguyen
Department of Molecular Diagnostics
University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
E-mail: david.nguyen@usyd.edu.au

Received : 03-Apr-2025, Manuscript No. aatr-179; Editor assigned : 07-Apr-2025, PreQC No. aatr-179(PQ); Reviewed : 25-Apr-2025, QC No aatr-179; Revised : 06-May-2025, Manuscript No. aatr-179(R); Published : 15-May-2025 , DOI : 10.35841/aatr-9.2.179

Citation: Nguyen D. Biomarkers: Essential for precision diagnosis and therapy. aatr. 2025;09(02):179.

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Introduction

Clinical biomarkers represent a cornerstone of modern medicine, fundamentally reshaping approaches to disease diagnosis, prognosis, and personalized therapeutic strategies. Their importance spans a wide array of medical conditions, offering critical insights into disease mechanisms and patient responses to interventions. The advancements in this field are continually pushing the boundaries of what is possible in patient care. Specifically in cancer management, clinical biomarkers play an indispensable role in targeted therapies. This article comprehensively reviews the latest advancements, delving into diverse types such as genomic, proteomic, and epigenetic markers. They are critical for enabling precise patient selection, predicting treatment response, and monitoring disease progression, ultimately improving therapeutic outcomes and reducing adverse effects in cancer management.[1] Beyond oncology, the utility of biomarkers extends significantly to neurological disorders. This review explores the current landscape of clinical biomarkers for Alzheimer's Disease (AD), encompassing fluid-based, imaging, and genetic markers. It discusses their utility in early diagnosis, disease staging, and monitoring therapeutic efficacy, also highlighting emerging biomarker candidates and advanced technologies, outlining future directions for improving diagnostic accuracy and developing novel treatments for AD.[2] Cardiovascular health similarly benefits from these advances. A comprehensive review summarizes recent breakthroughs in clinical biomarkers for cardiovascular diseases, covering their application in diagnosis, risk stratification, and prognosis. It discusses established markers like troponins and natriuretic peptides, alongside emerging novel biomarkers such as microRNAs and circulating cell-free DNA, emphasizing how these advancements contribute to earlier detection and more personalized management strategies for various cardiovascular conditions.[3] The scope further broadens to autoimmune diseases. A scoping review provides an overview of clinical biomarkers currently used or under investigation for various autoimmune diseases. It highlights the utility of these biomarkers in diagnosing, assessing disease activity, monitoring treatment response, and predicting disease flares, discussing both conventional autoantibodies and novel molecular markers, emphasizing the need for comprehensive biomarker panels to improve precision in autoimmune disease management.[4] Innovative technologies are also transforming biomarker discovery and application. This article examines groundbreaking advancements in liquid biopsy technologies as a source of clinical biomarkers for cancer management. It details the various analytes, including circulating tumor DNA, circulating tumor cells, and exosomes, and their applications in early detection, treatment selection, response monitoring, and recurrence surveillance, underscoring the non-invasive nature and potential of liquid biopsy to revolutionize personalized oncology.[5] For cancer immunotherapy, specific biomarkers are crucial. This review provides a comprehensive overview of clinical biomarkers utilized to predict and monitor responses to cancer immunotherapy. It discusses various types of biomarkers, including PD-L1 expression, tumor mutational burden, and microsatellite instability, highlighting their utility in patient selection and resistance prediction, while also addressing current challenges and future directions in identifying more effective biomarkers to optimize immunotherapy strategies.[6] The intersection of technology and biology is particularly transformative. This article explores the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in accelerating the discovery and development of clinical biomarkers. It highlights how these computational approaches enhance data analysis, identify complex patterns, and predict biomarker utility from high-dimensional biological data, covering applications across various diseases and emphasizing AI/ML's potential to improve diagnostic accuracy and personalize therapeutic strategies.[7] Even in critical care, biomarkers are vital. A systematic review evaluates the current state of clinical biomarkers for diagnosing and prognosticating sepsis, a life-threatening infectious condition. It critically assesses various markers, including procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, and novel inflammatory mediators, examining their sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value, highlighting ongoing challenges in identifying ideal biomarkers for early and accurate sepsis management to improve patient outcomes.[8] New scientific fields are also contributing significantly. This article explores the rapidly evolving field of metabolomics and its application in discovering clinical biomarkers for precision medicine. It elucidates how comprehensive metabolic profiling can identify unique biomarker signatures associated with disease onset, progression, and treatment response, covering various analytical platforms and their utility in developing personalized diagnostic and therapeutic strategies across diverse medical conditions.[9] Finally, epigenetics offers another promising avenue. This review focuses on the emerging role of epigenetic biomarkers, such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs, in the diagnosis and prognosis of various human diseases. It highlights their potential as highly stable and tissue-specific indicators, offering advantages over traditional genetic markers, discussing their application in cancer, neurological disorders, and metabolic diseases, paving the way for advanced disease management strategies.[10] The collective advancements across these diverse fields underscore the dynamic and crucial role of clinical biomarkers in the pursuit of more precise, effective, and personalized healthcare solutions.

Conclusion

Clinical biomarkers are essential tools transforming modern medicine, offering precise insights for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment across a wide spectrum of diseases. For targeted cancer therapies, these markers, including genomic, proteomic, and epigenetic types, are pivotal for selecting patients, predicting treatment responses, and monitoring disease progression, which ultimately enhances outcomes and minimizes adverse effects. Similar utility extends to Alzheimer's Disease, where fluid-based, imaging, and genetic markers aid in early diagnosis, disease staging, and assessing therapeutic effectiveness. Cardiovascular diseases also benefit from biomarkers like troponins and natriuretic peptides, alongside newer markers such as microRNAs, facilitating earlier detection and more personalized management strategies. In autoimmune conditions, both conventional autoantibodies and novel molecular markers help diagnose, assess disease activity, monitor treatment, and predict flares, highlighting the need for comprehensive panels to improve precision. Groundbreaking advancements in liquid biopsy technologies, utilizing circulating tumor DNA, cells, and exosomes, offer non-invasive methods for cancer detection, treatment selection, response monitoring, and recurrence surveillance. Furthermore, biomarkers like PD-L1 expression and tumor mutational burden are crucial for predicting and monitoring responses to cancer immunotherapy, though challenges remain in optimizing these strategies. The field is also being revolutionized by Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, which accelerate biomarker discovery through enhanced data analysis and pattern identification, improving diagnostic accuracy across various diseases. Metabolomics contributes by identifying unique metabolic signatures for precision medicine, while epigenetic biomarkers—like DNA methylation and non-coding RNAs—show promise as stable, tissue-specific indicators for diagnosing and prognosticating a range of human diseases, from cancer to neurological and metabolic disorders. Collectively, these advancements are propelling medicine towards more personalized and effective patient care.