Disease activity in COPD: time to make imaging biomarkers a PET project?. Issue 3 (31st August 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Milne, Stephen; Eddy, Rachel L.; Sin, Don D.
• Is Part Of: ERJ open research. Volume 7:Issue 3(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-08-31
• Subjects: Respiratory organs -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Respiration -- Periodicals; Respiration; Respiratory organs -- Diseases; Respiratory organs -- Diseases -- Treatment; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Electronic journals; Fulltext; Internet Resources; Periodicals; Periodical; 616.2005
• DOI: 10.1183/23120541.00445-2021
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2312-0541

Abstract

COPD is a complex and markedly heterogeneous condition for which a one-size-fits-all approach to treatment is clearly unsatisfactory. Instead, COPD is well suited to a "precision medicine" approach whereby treatments are targeted towards patients who will likely gain the most benefit [1]. Central to the precision medicine paradigm is the use of biomarkers, which are defined by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) as objectively measured characteristics that indicate normal biological processes, pathogenic processes, or pharmacologic responses to therapeutic interventions [2]. Biomarkers can be categorised based on their function or intent, such as susceptibility, diagnosis, prognosis, or prediction of treatment responses [3]. Plasma fibrinogen is currently the only COPD biomarker approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Biomarker Qualification Program [4], and is used for the enrichment of clinical trial cohorts with participants at increased risk of moderate-severe acute exacerbations of COPD [5–7]. FDG uptake on PET/CT is a potential biomarker of pulmonary inflammation in COPD and may reflect disease activity, but does it have the characteristics of a "good" biomarker? https://bit.ly/3AXheEZ