The Use of Biomarkers in Precision Health Symptom Science-Opportunities and Challenges

Precision health symptom science applies person-centered approaches to elucidate interindividual differences in patients' symptom experiences and incorporates omics methods with social, societal, and environmental determinants of health to develop symptom management strategies. By filling scientific gaps related to patients' symptom experiences and their underlying mechanisms, interventions can be developed to improve quality of life and outcomes. The purposes of this article are to describe symptom phenotype development; review analytical approaches to identify a symptom phenotype; and discuss common and emerging methods for biomarker discovery and their implications in precision health symptom science.

Peer-reviewed research studies, review articles, and scientific expertise were synthesized to provide a broad overview of several methods of biomarker discovery and their implications for precision health symptom science.

Approaches to symptom phenotype development and analytical methods for phenotype identification were reviewed. Common (ie, genomic, epigenomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic, microbiome) and emerging (ie, polygenic risk scores, microRNA, epigenetic clocks, allostatic load, wearables) methods for biomarker discovery were described. Each method provides unique information to improve our understanding of the complex biological processes that underlie symptoms and may be used for risk prediction, screening, surveillance, and treatment response.

While the exemplar approaches to conducting precision health symptom science were shared through an oncology lens, they are generalizable across acute and chronic conditions.

Symptom biomarker identification is inherently complex and the methods for biomarker collection, processing, measurement, and analysis are continually evolving. Therefore, symptom scientists need to form transdisciplinary teams with experts in omics methodologies and bioinformatics. Despite the challenges, symptom scientists are well suited to lead the way in precision health symptom science to reduce symptom burden and improve quality of life among patients with various chronic conditions.