Biomarker News and Research

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A biomarker is a biological molecule found in blood, other body fluids, or tissues that is a sign of a normal or abnormal process, or of a condition or disease. A biomarker may be used to see how well the body responds to a treatment for a disease or condition. Also called molecular marker and signature molecule.

A routine blood test may reveal who is most at risk of osteoporosis

A routine creatinine blood test may identify individuals at higher risk for osteoporosis and fractures, highlighting its potential as a risk assessment tool.

22 Jan 2026

Shingles vaccination is linked to slower biological aging in older adults

This population-based study of U.S. adults aged 70 and older found that shingles vaccination was associated with slower epigenetic and transcriptomic aging, as well as lower systemic inflammation. No significant associations were observed for neurodegeneration or cardiovascular biomarkers, highlighting domain-specific molecular effects rather than broad clinical changes.

21 Jan 2026

Serum uric acid levels linked to atrial fibrillation burden

Announcing a new article publication for Cardiovascular Innovations and Applications journal. This study investigated the association between serum uric acid (UA) levels and atrial fibrillation (AF) burden in Chinese patients with AF.

21 Jan 2026

TGM2 as a novel biomarker for acute myocardial infarction and prognosis in acute coronary syndrome

Announcing a new article publication for Cardiovascular Innovations and Applications journal. Transglutaminase 2 (TGM2) has been implicated in various health conditions, yet its role in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) remains poorly characterized in clinical settings.

21 Jan 2026

Evidence shows no autism risk from paracetamol in pregnancy

Evidence from a comprehensive review shows no link between paracetamol in pregnancy and neurodevelopmental issues, supporting its safe use for pain management.

21 Jan 2026

Rice’s SynthX Center leads interdisciplinary effort to tackle rare lymphatic disorders

Rice University's SynthX Center, directed by Han Xiao, has received an up to five-year, $18 million award from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) Lymphatic Imaging, Genomics and pHenotyping Technologies (LIGHT) program to develop innovative solutions for lymphatic diseases.

20 Jan 2026

COVID-19 severity is linked to changes in mitochondrial DNA methylation

This study examined mitochondrial and nuclear-encoded mitochondrial DNA methylation in Indian patients with severe COVID-19 and found region-specific differential methylation linked to disease severity. Pathway analyses and protein assays implicated disrupted mitochondrial metabolism and dynamics, suggesting a role for mitochondrial epigenetic regulation in COVID-19 pathophysiology.

20 Jan 2026

Blood lipid–hormone ratios predict future asthma attacks years in advance

This study shows that specific ratios of circulating sphingolipids to steroids can predict the risk of future asthma exacerbations over five years with high discriminatory performance. By integrating metabolomics with longitudinal medical records, the research highlights lipid–hormone pathway imbalance as a key driver of asthma instability.

20 Jan 2026

Customizable protein platforms offer new hope for cancer treatment

Precise methods for shredding or repairing and replacing specific cancer-causing proteins in a malignant cell, developed at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, could have applications beyond cancer to a wide range of immunological diseases, members of the interdisciplinary research team say.

20 Jan 2026

Adding lean pork to a plant-forward diet supports healthy aging biomarkers

A randomized crossover feeding trial in adults aged 65 years or older found that plant-forward diets incorporating either minimally processed lean pork or lentils produced similar short-term improvements in cardiometabolic and neuroactive biomarkers. Both diets supported metabolic health and functional stability, with no overall adverse biomarker effects attributable to including minimally processed red meat within a Dietary Guidelines–aligned pattern.

19 Jan 2026

Teen girls who play organized sports show lower breast cancer risk biomarkers

This cross-sectional study of 191 adolescent girls found that ≥2 hours of organized recreational physical activity in the past week was associated with lower breast percent water content and reduced oxidative stress. These biomarkers are linked to breast cancer risk, although causality and long-term outcomes cannot be inferred.

19 Jan 2026

Central reference database launched to categorize and coordinate mental health biomarker research

Psychiatrists and neuroscientists are taking a major step toward objective mental health diagnosis by launching a central reference database for the classification and communication of mental health biomarker research.

19 Jan 2026

Elevated tau in Long COVID patients raises risk for neurodegenerative diseases

A study of 227 individuals who experienced neuro cognitive difficulties post COVID-19 infection – such as headaches, vertigo, balance dysregulation, changes in taste/smell, and brain fog – displayed a significant increase in their blood plasma of a crucial protein called tau, which is found in nerves and especially in the brain.

19 Jan 2026

Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation announces strategic collaboration and partnership with Spear Bio for the transformative Bio-Hermes-002 study

The Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation® (GAP) is pleased to welcome Spear Bio, a biotechnology company pioneering wash-free ultrasensitive immunoassay technology, to the Bio-Hermes-002 study.

From Spear Bio 18 Jan 2026

Age-related sperm changes at imprint regions linked to autism risk

A new research paper was published in Volume 17, Issue 12 of Aging-US on December 29, 2025, titled "Age-specific DNA methylation alterations in sperm at imprint control regions may contribute to the risk of autism spectrum disorder in offspring."

16 Jan 2026

Study connects adolescent exercise with breast cancer risk biomarkers

Recreational physical activity may be associated with breast tissue composition and biomarkers of stress in adolescent girls, according to a new study from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC).

16 Jan 2026

Formulatrix® and Spear Bio advance automated ultrasensitive protein detection through ongoing partnership

Formulatrix, a leader in laboratory automation solutions, and Spear Bio, an innovator in ultrasensitive protein biomarker detection, today announced their ongoing partnership to automate and optimize the SPEAR UltraDetect™ assay platform using the F.A.S.T.™ (Flow Axial Seal Tip) Liquid Handler.

From Spear Bio 15 Jan 2026

New blood biomarker tracks brain injury progression after ischemic stroke

A new blood marker reflects the extent of brain injury after an ischemic stroke and can predict patient outcomes months to years later.

15 Jan 2026

New European initiative aims to transform real world Alzheimer’s disease care

Today, the ACCESS-AD consortium is announcing the launch of a transformative European initiative that will accelerate the implementation of scientific innovations for Alzheimer's disease (AD) management in real-world health systems.

13 Jan 2026

Novel antibody shows promise in overcoming resistance to cancer immunotherapy

According to a Phase I study led by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, published today in Nature Medicine, the novel monoclonal antibody linavonkibart demonstrated the potential to overcome treatment resistance to anti-PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitors in multiple cancer types.

13 Jan 2026