Biomarkers for the evaluation of human health risks

In the field of human health, the development, validation, anduse of biomarkers as information tools to assess risk factorsassociated with exposure to environmental agents increasesdaily. This is a result of the need to understand the adverseeffects of the various work environments and lifestyles. Abiomarker is an event that takes place in a biological system andis understood as an indicator of health status, life expectancy,or disease risk. Biomarkers usually fall within the followingcategories: exposure, effect, and susceptibility biomarkers. Thisreview will discuss their importance in understanding differentaspects of diseases such as diagnosis, treatment, prevention,disease progression, response to therapy, and their applicationin toxicological experimental evaluation for the developmentof drugs or pesticides. Furthermore, their contribution to thedevelopment of different fields of study such as toxicology,occupational health, and carcinogenesis shall also be discussed.