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INNOSC Theranostics

                                                 and Pharmacological Sciences





                                        REVIEW
                                        Role of biomarkers in disease management and

                                        drug development in Africa: A narrative review



                                        Komal Zulfiqar 1  , Maria Qadri 2  , Sulafa Rasheed Ahmed Ali 3  ,
                                                                                            5
                                                                 4
                                         Ummsalamah Adenike Musa , and Malik Olatunde Oduoye *
                                        1 Department of Medicine, Allama Iqbal Medical College, Bihar Sharif, Pakistan
                                        2 Department of Medicine, Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan
                                        3 Department of Microbiology, Elfarabi College for Science and Technology, Khartoum, Sudan
                                        4 Department of Medicine, Medicine and Surgery, Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Kano, Kano State,
                                        Nigeria
                                        5 Department of Research, The Medical Research Circle (MedReC), Goma, Democratic Republic of
                                        Congo



                                        Abstract

                                        Biomarkers are quantifiable components in the body or its byproducts that can be used
                                        to evaluate human health or pathogen development. This review aimed to explore
                                        and evaluate the utilization, challenges, and prospects of biomarkers in enhancing
                                        drug development in Africa. We searched for relevant articles in online databases,
                                        such as PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar, covering the period from 2013 to
            *Corresponding authors:
            Malik Olatunde Oduoye       2024. The use of biomarkers can be traced back to the 1800s when they were initially
            (malikolatunde36@gmail.com)  referred to as surrogate markers and later as surrogate endpoints. Biomarkers are
                                        specific molecules or cells in the body that serve as indicators of underlying biological
            Citation: Zulfiqar K, Qadri M,
            Ali SRA, Musa UA, Oduoye    processes, aiding in disease diagnosis or measuring pharmacological responses
            MO. Role of biomarkers in   to therapy. Diagnostic biomarkers are biomolecules that indicate the presence
            disease management and drug   of diseases or help identify specific disease subtypes in individuals. Examples of
            development in Africa: A narrative
            review. INNOSC Theranostics   biomarkers for common diseases, such as malaria, include Plasmodium falciparum
            and Pharmacological Sciences.   lactate  dehydrogenase,  histidine-rich  protein  2,  and  hemozoins;  for  colorectal
            2024;7(4):3656.             cancer, biomarkers include Rat Sarcoma, microsatellite instability, human epidermal
            doi: 10.36922/itps.3656
                                        growth  factor receptor 2,  consensus molecular  subtypes, and  Circulating  tumor
            Received: May 14, 2024      DNA/Circulating tumor cells. These biomarkers guide targeted therapy and adjuvant
            Accepted: September 11, 2024  chemotherapy approaches by allowing for patient stratification and determining
                                        which patients would benefit from adjuvant treatment. Overcoming challenges such
            Published Online: November 8,
            2024                        as cost-effectiveness and regulatory approval is crucial. Despite initial financial and
                                        logistical constraints, these efforts will ultimately result in significant improvements
            Copyright: © 2024 This
            is an Open-Access article   in efficiency.
            distributed under the terms
            of the Creative Commons
            AttributionNoncommercial License,   Keywords: Biomarkers; African region; Drug development; Disease management
            permitting all non-commercial use,
            distribution, and reproduction in any
            medium, provided the original work
            is properly cited.
                                        1. Introduction
            Publisher’s Note: AccScience
            Publishing remains neutral with   Biomarkers are measurable elements, structures, or functions in the body, including
            regard to jurisdictional claims in
            published maps and institutional   their metabolites, that can help determine their effects on human health or disease
                                                  1
            affiliations                development.  Biomarkers, or biological markers, are among the characteristics that

            Volume 7 Issue 4 (2024)                         1                                doi: 10.36922/itps.3656
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