A biomarker is a measurable and quantifiable biological parameter that serves as an indicator of a particular physiological state or of pharmacologic responses to a therapeutic intervention. In a medical context, a biomarker is a substance whose detection indicates a particular disease state, for example, the presence of specific pathological entities, cytological or histological characteristics, gene or chromosome mutations, particular transcripts of proteins, posttranslational variants, or alterations in the level of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and protein expression. [Source: Encyclopedia of Global Health; Biomarker]
biomarkers
concepts
epidemiological concepts
health sciences