Autoimmune and Inflammatory Diseases Biomarkers

One of the major challenges facing the healthcare industry is how to personalize, or tailor healthcare products and services to individuals' unique genetic and biomarker make-ups. Biomarkers are characteristics that can be objectively measured and evaluated. They provide information about normal or patho-physiological processes to detect or define disease progression or to predict or quantify therapeutic responses. Once these footprints have been identified and measured, they can then be used to personalize or tailor treatment plans, products and services to each individual's unique makeup and background. Biomarkers enable early diagnosis, guide molecularly targeted therapy and monitor the activity and therapeutic responses across these diseases. Development of new, predictive safety and efficacy biomarkers is expected to reduce the time and cost of drug development. This review summarizes the integration and use of biomarkers in drug development, regulation and clinical practice with special emphasis on autoimmune and inflammatory diseases biomarkers.