Biomarker is a generic term used for any substance that
can indicate the changes in the normal biological processes. For
example, increased cholesterol level is a biomarker for heart related
diseases.
Different diseases have different biomarkers. When
people become ill, changes in biomarker levels may occur before any
clinical symptoms or signs become apparent. Doctors commonly look for
biomarkers in urine and blood samples in order to find any changes in
normal processes.
Measuring biomarkers in blood or urine is simple, safe
and may help the doctor diagnose which disease the patient has,
determine how severe it is, help choose the best treatment and monitor
whether the disease is getting better or worse.
Protein biomarkers in body fluids are now
being regularly identified using new techniques. However, in order to
be implemented into the NHS, biomarkers must be rigorously and widely
tested before they are deemed valid for specific medical uses.
Testing human fluids such as urine and blood is
necessary to understand how the human body works normally and what
changes when things go wrong. We are currently carrying out research
into several diseases. These include diseases involving the kidney such
as renal (kidney) cancer and kidney
transplantation. The main purpose of this research is to develop new
clinical tests that can identify measurable changes in proteins
(biomarkers) in patient samples. These biomarker tests may be used to
improve patient care such as helping to diagnose disease earlier or in
deciding which drug is having the best effect in a patient.
