Biomarker Discovery and the Identification of the First Cancer Biomarker
While biomarker discovery is a major focus of research across different therapeutic developers and healthcare providers today, the first cancer biomarker was reported over 170 years ago.
The immunoglobulin free light chain – identified in three quarters of patients with myeloma in a study from 1848 – is widely considered to be the first example of a biomarker.
Dr Henry Bence Jones is credited with the discovery of this protein in 1847, with research published the following year.
Bence Jones proteins – monoclonal free light chains of immunoglobulins – are the earliest known biological markers of malignant cell dyscrasia, a disease where the body produces too many plasma cells.
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The presence of Bence Jones proteins in urine aids the diagnosis of diseases such as multiple myeloma, chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, and amyloidosis.
The test for immunoglobulin is still carried out by clinicians today, albeit with the use of modern quantification techniques such as electrophoresis.
Following World War Two, the field witnessed a boom in technological advancements which led to increased biomarker discovery.
Scientists and researchers began to identify and classify a range of different hormones, enzymes, and other proteins whose incidence or behaviour in the body was affected by the presence of cancer.
Historic and Recent Trends in Biomarker Discovery
However, the modern area of monitoring malignant disease was ushered in during the 1960s with the discovery of tumour markers such as alpha-fetoprotein and carcinoembryonic antigens (CEAs).
This boom in detection was facilitated by the introduction of immunological techniques such as the radioimmunoassay.
In the 1980s, new antigens such as the ovarian epithelial cancer marker CA (carbohydrate antigen) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) were developed.
The field of biomarker discovery is closely linked to the development of new technologies which enable the investigation of biomarkers at greater resolutions.
Over the past decade, there has been a marked growth in the field of high throughput technology at scale, which has facilitated the discovery of additional biomarkers.
While early discoveries were predominantly based on empirical observations such as the overexpression of CEA, modern day techniques allow for a quantitative approach to health monitoring.
Broadly speaking, milestones in technological advancement and the completion of enterprises such as the Human Genome Project have contributed to continuous advances in development.
Such approaches represent a central component of the search for uses such as novel biomarkers for predicting response to cancer immunotherapy.
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