Editorial-Translational potential of novel biomarkers and molecular targets in lifestyle diseases

Abstract

As per WHO, 43 million deaths were reported due to these non-communicable diseases. In 2021. Over 18 million of these deaths were considered "premature" (before age 70), and 82% of these premature deaths occurred in low-and middle-income countries.There has been a concerted effort to address the rise of lifestyle disorders by developing better therapeutics and focusing on preventive measure by developing newer and efficient biomarkers.A biomarker is defined as a substance, structure or a process that can be objectively quantified as an indicator of typical biological functions, disease processes, or biological reactions to exposure (Aryutova et al., 2021). Thus, they play a critical role in early detection and diagnosis of these lifestyle diseases. ADAM17 is a type I transmembrane protein consisting of 824 amino acids, encoded by a gene located on chromosome (Rose-John, 2013) Strong evidence suggests dysregulation of ADAM17 activity has been implicated in various diseases, including inflammatory disorders, cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases (Liu et al., 2025). Its ability to process tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) ligands makes it a critical player in disease progression and a promising therapeutic target. Recent literature suggests its strong role in progression of various cancers including colorectal and gastric cancers (Chen et al., 2024). Also, its involvement in cardiovascular diseases like myocardial infarction is being investigated (Kawai et al., 2021). GC ranks fourth in the world for mortality among malignancies and fifth for incidence (Mamun et al., 2024).Conventional serum markers often fail to detect GC at curable stages or distinguish it from benign conditions, resulting in missed opportunities for timely intervention. Markers used in GC, such as carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), cancer antigen (CA19-9), and CA72- T2DM is a metabolic disorder characterised by hyperglycemia and insulin resistance.Mitochondrial dysfunction has been shown to contribute significantly in the various inflammation responses associated with T2DM. Imeglimin, an oral antidiabetic agent has demonstrated dual mode of action to control the hyperglycemia. However, real life evidence is limited. Satheesan et al., 2025 studied the effect of Imeglimin monotherapy and compared it with its combination therapy with other antidiabetics and assessed their impact on mitochondrial distress via circulating cell-free mitochondrial DNA (ccf-mtDNA) End stage renal failure patients rely on frequent dialysis which is both cumbersome for patient and caregiver, requiring advanced facilities which are often a big constraint in resource poor countries. Current focus area to address this includes study the role of biomarkers such as transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), (VEGF) and (ET-1) levels in peritoneal dialysis effluent on peritoneal solute transport function (Han et al., 2025). Recently drug repurposing has become an important arsenal in managing various diseases like cancers. Role of ondansetron's anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity which has been studied for possible use in reducing pro-inflammatory markers and oxidative stress in the liver (Naeem et al., 2025). This has provided an opportunity for further investigation for its role in management of diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) This research topic has provided recent developments in the area of biomarker research and novel targets for lifestyle diseases. The emerging evidence of role of these biomarkers in treatment of various inflammatory diseases is likely to transform into robust clinical markers in near future. Because of their high sensitivity biomarkers like ADAM17, SREBP1 and circular RNA have the potential to revolutionise the early detection of GC. Similarly, other biomarkers like VEGF and ET-1 have been strongly associated with renal failure. Finally, with robust experimental evidence and proof of concept studies, these biomarkers are providing opportunity for repurposing of drugs like ondansetron in management of diabetes and NAFLD.