Volume 7 Issue 12 December, 2017
“Biomarkers”
Biomarker is characteristic that is objectively measured and evaluated as indicator of normal biological, pathological process or biological response to therapeutic intervention.
It may involve genes, set of genes, proteins or other bimolecular and morphological characters.
Biomarkers are used for diagnosis, prognosis, better understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms, to predict disease progression and monitoring the therapy. It can also help in drug target mechanisms.
Research on biomarkers is done extensively in other medical fields compared to psychiatry. In psychiatry approach to illness is based on biopsychosocial model rather than only biological.
In schizophrenia research 3 genetic components mediating neurophysiological changes are measured by event related potential subcomponent abnormalities in schizophrenia. In autism gene ontology enrichment analysis have derived a set of genes involved in pyruvate metabolism, transcption factor avtivation, cell signalling and cell regulation.
Future studies currently are now concentrating on how treatment modalities can be optimized, how we can reduce side effects of medications and other treatments at the same time maintaining efficacy.
MVJ Medical College & Research Hospital Bengaluru
