Development and Application of Biomarkers

First introduced to biomedical research in 1980, the term biomarker has taken on a life of its own in recent years and has come to mean a number of things. In biomedical science, biomarker has evolved to most commonly mean a characteristic that can be used either as a diagnostic or a prognostic, but most significantly as a screening indicator for pathologies that tend to be somewhat silent prior to overt clinical display.

Applying scientific rigor, as well as a disciplined approach to nomenclature, Roger Lundblad’s Development and Application of Biomarkers rationalizes the current enthusiasm for biomarkers with the use of well-established clinical laboratory analytes in clinical medicine. Highly respected for his work as both a classical protein scientist and as a pioneer in proteomics, Dr. Lundblad catalogs various biomarkers recognized in clinical medicine and, where possible, matches the expectations for advances in screening technologies with the realities of statistical analysis. More specifically, this important reference:



Details an extensive list of biomarkers for various stages of a number of cancer types including ovarian, pancreatic, prostate, and breast cancer
Looks at how proteomics is used for the discovery and validation of biomarkers
Explores the use of microarray technology, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography, and computational bioinformatic approaches for the discovery and use of biomarkers
Examines the use of cells and cell fragments as more complex biomarkers
Organizes a host of significant biomarkers and essential research by type and use in a series of readily accessible tables


Throughout this volume, Dr. Lundblad encourages consideration of biomarkers more as a concept than as laboratory analytes, emphasizing the relation between the discovery of a biomarker and the biology underlying its production. Ultimately, it is a thorough understanding of that underlying biology that will lead to the development of assays that are robust and reproducible, as well as clinically significant.

Roger L. Lundblad is a highly accomplished expert in protein science and proteomics. He is well known for the rigorous application of classical protein science to more modern approaches and the development of a wealth of viable and practical applications. Dr. Lundblad is a native of San Francisco, California. He received his undergraduate education at Pacific Lutheran University and his Ph.D. degree in biochemistry at the University of Washington. After post-doctoral work in the laboratories of Stanford Moore and William Stein at the Rockefeller University, he joined the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1968 attaining the rank of Full Professor in 1976 He joined the Hyland Division of Baxter Healthcare in 1990. Currently Dr. Lundblad is an independent consultant and writer in biotechnology in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He is an adjunct Professor of Pathology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Editor-in-Chief of the Internet Journal of Genomics and Proteomics. He has authored and edited numerous books that focus both on advances in proteomics and modern applications as well as on the fundamentals of protein science. He recently co-edited Handbook of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Fourth Edition.

Introduction to BiomarkersApplication of Biomarkers in Diagnostics, Prognostics, Theranostics, and Personalized MedicineIntroductionNomenclature/DefinitionsBiomarkers and DiagnosticsBiomarkers and Screening Biomarkers and PrognosisBiomarkers and Theranostics and Personalized Medicine Biomarkers and Specific PathologiesRheumatoid ArthritisInflammation Biomarkers in Different PathologiesBiomarkers in OphthalmologyBiomarkers in Neurology Cardiac Biomarkers Biomarkers in Renal DiseaseBiomarkers for BoneBiomarkers for Exposure to Environmental ToxinsBiomarkers and the Development of Biopharmaceuticals Development of Biomarkers for OncologyIntermediate Biomarkers and the Precancerous ConditionCancer and InflammationHead and Neck CancerOvarian Cancer Pancreatic Cancer Prostate Cancer Breast Cancer The Use of Proteomics to Discover BiomarkersBlood Urine Saliva Miscellaneous Biological Fluids/Excretory Products as Sources of Biomarkers Biomarkers in Tissue SamplesModified Proteins, Oligosaccharides, and Oligonucleotidesas Biomarkers Complex Biomarkers: Cells, Cell Membrane Proteins, and Cell Fragments as BiomarkersUse of Microarray Technology in Biomarker Discovery and DevelopmentDevelopment of Assays for BiomarkersAppendix A: Model Standard Operating Procedure for an Assay
references provided at the end of every chapter