Have you ever asked yourself exactly what a biomarker is, and what this term really means?  It can be confusing, since biomarkers themselves are discussed in a number of different contexts including: aiding diagnosis, predicting response and monitoring response to therapy, or helping to identify candidates that will benefit from therapy.

In a new review published this month in BMC Medicine, Daniel Chan and Leong Ng from the University of Leicester (UK), outline what makes a good biomarker in the context of myocardial infarction.  Further, they talk about the different biomarkers that have been investigated for use in earlier diagnosis and prediction of prognosis in myocardial infarction, a condition that leads to significant mortality and morbidity.

Chan and Ng posit that a rich host of biomarkers have been identified for use in myocardial infarction diagnosis and treatment. However, our knowledge of the underlying science remains weak, and many of them are not ready to be used in wider clinical practice; this highlights the need to validate many of these markers in well-designed randomized trials.

Visit the BMC Medicine website to read the full review and explore the authors’ insights into this serious condition.  While you’re there, why not sign up for article alerts for BMC Medicine, and check out the high quality research that we are publishing?