Bahn S, Schwarz E
Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Cambridge Centre for Neuropsychiatric Research, University of Cambridge, UK.
Nervenarzt. 2011 Nov;82(11):1395-6, 1398, 1400 passim. doi: 10.1007/s00115-011-3346-z.
There are many challenges associated with the discovery and development of serum-based biomarkers for psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. Here, we review these challenges from the point of view of psychiatrists, the regulatory agencies and biomarker scientists. There is a general opinion in psychiatric medicine that improvements over the current subjective tests are essential. Despite this there is a reluctance to accept that peripheral molecules can do the job any better. In addition, psychiatrists find it difficult to accept that peripheral molecules, such as those found in blood, can reflect what is happening in the brain. However, the regulatory health authorities now consider biomarkers as important for the future of drug development and have called for efforts to modernize methods, tools and techniques for the purpose of developing more efficient and safer drugs. We also describe here the development of the first ever molecular blood-test for schizophrenia, and its reception in the market place, as a case in point.
发现和开发用于精神疾病（如精神分裂症）的血清生物标志物存在诸多挑战。在此，我们从精神科医生、监管机构和生物标志物科学家的角度审视这些挑战。精神病学领域普遍认为，改进当前的主观测试至关重要。尽管如此，人们仍不愿接受外周分子能更好地发挥作用。此外，精神科医生难以接受外周分子，如血液中发现的分子，能够反映大脑中正在发生的情况。然而，监管卫生当局现在认为生物标志物对药物开发的未来很重要，并呼吁努力使方法、工具和技术现代化，以开发更高效、更安全的药物。我们还在此描述了有史以来首个针对精神分裂症的分子血液检测的开发及其在市场上的接受情况，作为一个实例。
