Biomarker discovery in animal health and disease: the application of post-genomic technologies

Abstract

The causes of many important diseases in animals are complex and multifactorial, which present unique challenges. Biomarkers indicate the presence or extent of a biological process, which is directly linked to the clinical manifestations and outcome of a particular disease. Identifying biomarkers or biomarker profiles will be an important step towards disease characterization and management of disease in animals. The emergence of post-genomic technologies has led to the development of strategies aimed at identifying specific and sensitive biomarkers from the thousands of molecules present in a tissue or biological fluid. This review will summarize the current developments in biomarker discovery and will focus on the role of transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics in biomarker discovery for animal health and disease.

Keywords: Biomarker; Metabolomics; Proteomics; Transcriptomics; Veterinary.

Figure 1

Post-genomic approaches to biomarker discovery. Post-genomic technologies have provided new avenues for biomarker discovery. Biological fluids and tissues hold a wealth of information at the transcript, protein and metabolite level which may be able to characterize disease states in animals. The identification of diagnostically relevant biomarkers requires rigorous validation before use in the clinic.