Brain research and advocacy non-profit Cohen Veterans Bioscience (CVB) announces the publication of the fifth of six manuscripts resulting from its Brain Trauma Blueprint framework program.

Published in the Journal of Neurotrauma on January 21, 2022, the article, titled “A Framework to Advance Biomarker Development in the Diagnosis, Outcome Prediction, and Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury,” focuses on the pressing need for multi-modal biomarkers (e.g., imaging, blood-based, physiologic) for traumatic brain injury (TBI), to guide the development of diagnostics and personalized, targeted therapies.

Biomarkers enable researchers and clinicians to identify cellular injury, monitor clinical improvement (or deterioration), and make the most precise, effective treatment decisions. By understanding how TBI biomarkers change over time and as a measure of different mechanisms of TBI, clinicians and researchers can identify appropriate time windows and target populations for intervention as the injury evolves. This will allow more reliable prediction of outcomes and recovery time that could guide plans for return to normal activities and duties. TBI biomarkers that meet the critical criteria for clinical application have the potential to transform clinical practice and reduce the patient’s risk for long-term symptoms and lasting deficits. The paper summarizes biomarkers currently under investigation and outlines essential steps to ensure robustness, validity, and reliability within a specified context of use. The article also provides a framework for future research and funding investments.

The Brain Trauma Blueprint is a framework that enables stakeholder groups across government, academia, foundations, and industry to advance precision diagnostics and treatments for brain trauma through a coordinated effort. The framework comprises a 12-step process to jointly identify unmet patient needs and associated research priorities, landscape the state of the science, identify research gaps and barriers, and provide recommendations for progress. In addition, the framework provides a call to action for funders and collaborators across the broader stakeholder community to engage in a transparent and coordinated network.

Co-author and founder of the Brain Trauma Blueprint, Magali Haas, MD, PhD, CEO and President, Cohen Veterans Bioscience states that “the discovery and validation of biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis and response prediction is essential to drive a transformation of the TBI diagnostic and treatment model”.