Based on the Precision Medicine Initiative, precision medicine is "an emerging approach for disease treatment and prevention that takes into account individual variability in genes, environment, and lifestyle for each person." This innovative approach will allow doctors and researchers to predict more accurately which prevention and treatment strategies for a specific disease will work in which subgroups of patients. In recent years, there have been important developments in high throughput genomic and molecular profiling and image-based technologies, which have resulted in new discoveries of potential disease biomarkers that could provide a deeper understanding of the molecular processes of diseases. Biomarkers will serve as powerful tools to precisely identify high-risk individual patients, improve diagnostic accuracy, develop tailored follow-up policies, recognize the sensitivity to targeted therapy or immunotherapy, and predict the prognosis determination.

However, some barriers still exist in the identification of novel biomarkers in the era of precision medicine, limiting the reach to all potential patients. One challenge is the diversity in biomedical research, which restricts the general applicability of gene-based prevention, monitoring, and treatment strategies, especially in oncology. Furthermore, the integration of clinical and biological information and its interpretation still presents a challenge. Clinicians face obstacles in interpreting biomarkers, especially molecular genetic information, from unfamiliar laboratories and there is an urgent need for clear standardization.

The aim of this Special Issue is to summarize new advances in both existing and novel predictive and prognostic molecular and imaging biomarkers for diseases in the era of precision medicine, especially in risk prediction, screening, diagnosis, and prognosis. Original research and reviews articles are welcome.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Genetic and epigenetic changes that might be used as relevant biomarkers
• Imaging markers for personalized disease prevention, monitoring, and treatment
• Bioinformatics analysis of the prevention, treatment, and prognosis of a variety of diseases
• Define suitable biomarkers for proper clinical trials
• The use of biomarkers for patient stratification, follow-up, and to predict therapeutic response
• Body fluid biomarkers for individualized disease prognosis, treatment, and prognosis
• Mechanistic research relating to specific biomarkers
• Advanced techniques to identify or measure biomarkers
• Identification and validation of novel biomarkers that help clinical decision-making
• Predictive and prognostic biomarkers in targeted immunotherapy