Biomarker?

• What is a Biomarker?
• Biomarkers are collectively referred to as substances that specifically react to diagnose a particular disease or determine treatment methods within numerous substances in the body, such as proteins, genes, and metabolites. Biomarkers are widely utilized in various fields, including the diagnosis of various diseases, including cancer, and drug responsiveness tests. There is a high level of interest in biomarkers in the medical field, as they enable more accurate and convenient tests. Many research groups are concentrating on the discovery and development of biomarkers.

• What is a multi-biomarker test (multiple markers)?
• Most tests have used a single biomarker test. For example, the CA15-3 marker in breast cancer and the AFP marker in liver cancer. However, a single marker does not guarantee a high expressivity in all cancer patients, and it tends to show elevated levels in inflammatory conditions and other types of cancers, not related to cancer.
  
  To address these limitations, attempts have been made to enhance the sensitivity of diagnosis and the specificity of diseases by combining various markers. As a result, the use of a multiple biomarker test, MASTOCHECK, incorporating three biomarkers, has increased diagnostic accuracy by more than 70%* compared to the conventional CA15-3 test.

Neoplasma. 1994;41(4):213-6., Isr J Med Sci. 1988 Sep-Oct;24(9-10):623-7
Patent registered (10-1431062) Efficacy of Mastocheck for Screening of Early Breast Cancer: Comparison with Screening Mammography, 2019

• What is Proteomics?
• Proteomics is a broad field of research that studies the roles and characteristics of various proteins, as well as their interrelationships. In the medical field, it is applied to conduct comprehensive research on hundreds of thousands of proteins within the human body. This research aims to identify proteins that are actual causes of diseases and develop effective treatment methods for them.

• Why does it test with proteins instead of genes?
• Proteins are the basic unit for human biological activity. While there are only about 30,000 genes, the number of proteins reaches millions. Diseases caused by genetic mutations are limited, and it is proteins that are directly involved in the development and progress of diseases. This is why identical twins who share 100% genes exhibit different diseases depending on protein expressions.