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An Inflection Point in Cancer Protein Biomarkers: What was and What's Next
Anna D Barker1, Mario M Alba2, Parag Mallick3
1Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA; Complex Adaptive Systems Initiative and School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA.
Biomarker discovery in cancer medicine needs a paradigm shift. Redefining biomarkers as representations of complex biological system states, integrating multi-omics and advanced technologies, can improve cancer therapy selection and patient monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Systems Biology
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- Biomarkers, particularly protein biomarkers, hold significant promise in cancer medicine but have yielded limited improvements in patient health.
- Cancer's complexity as an emergent property of a system makes traditional biomarker approaches challenging.
- Despite technological advancements like multi-omics and liquid biopsy, translating biomarker potential into clinical benefit remains difficult.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a redefinition of biomarkers to better capture the complexity of cancer.
- To advocate for a shift from reductionist thinking to a systems-level understanding of cancer.
- To highlight the potential of integrating multi-omics data and advanced technologies for improved cancer care.
Main Methods:
- Review of current biomarker landscape and technological advancements in precision oncology.
- Conceptual framework development for redefining biomarkers within a complex adaptive systems context.
- Exploration of information theory and mechanistic frameworks for integrative analysis.
Main Results:
- Current biomarker strategies often fall short due to the complex, adaptive nature of cancer.
- A proposed redefinition of biomarkers includes traditional and emerging digital markers and algorithms representing biological system states.
- Integrating multi-omics data and advanced technologies is crucial for developing more effective biomarkers.
Conclusions:
- Moving beyond reductionist approaches to view cancer as a complex adaptive system is essential for advancing precision medicine.
- Redefining biomarkers as representations of biological system states at various hierarchical levels offers a path forward.
- Developing mechanistic frameworks and utilizing information theory can revolutionize biomarker discovery and improve clinical outcomes in oncology.
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