biomarker

noun

bio·​mark·​er ˈbī-ō-ˌmär-kər How to pronounce biomarker (audio)
: a distinctive biological or biologically derived indicator (such as a metabolite) of a process, event, or condition (such as aging, disease, or oil formation)

Examples of biomarker in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Topalian, 30, was among the first patients to use biomarker testing when she was first diagnosed with leukemia at age four. Jessie Balmert, The Enquirer, 3 Mar. 2024 Examples of such biomarkers are proteins, DNA, cell plasma, hormones, and glucose. Lisa Falco, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 Some of those chemicals, known as biomarkers, may signal that something is alive on the planet’s surface. Dan Falk, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Jan. 2024 Photo-illustration: Lauren Joseph; Getty Images Earlier this year, Parkinson’s disease (PD) research entered a new era when the Michael J. Fox Foundation announced a momentous scientific breakthrough—the discovery of a biomarker for PD. Michael J. Fox, WIRED, 15 Jan. 2024 The researchers show that their technique can detect 40 different biomarkers in human blood samples. IEEE Spectrum, 9 Oct. 2023 The study found that targeted fluorescence spectroscopy was highly influential in detecting the presence of these proteins, which could potentially be used as a biomarker for glaucoma diagnosis and monitoring. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 In the study, published in the journal Nature Aging on Feb. 12, researchers were able to pinpoint a biomarker, or a common imprint in the blood, for people at-risk for dementia. Julia Daye, Miami Herald, 14 Feb. 2024 Another health care law will require insurers to cover biomarker testing, the process of analyzing tumors or blood samples to identify certain markers — characteristics of genes or protein expression — that could impact therapeutic decisions, especially in cancer treatment. Dan Belson, Baltimore Sun, 1 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'biomarker.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1973, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of biomarker was in 1973

Dictionary Entries Near biomarker

Cite this Entry

“Biomarker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biomarker. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

biomarker

noun
bio·​mark·​er ˈbī-ō-ˌmär-kər How to pronounce biomarker (audio)
: a distinctive biological or biologically derived indicator (as a biochemical metabolite in the body) of a process, event, or condition (as aging, disease, or exposure to a toxic substance)
age-related biomarkers of disease and degenerative changeJanet Raloff
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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