In the 1980’s, a biomarker contributed to the success of the small but seminal clinical trial of human growth hormone in children who were unable to produce it naturally. Some children lose the ability to make growth hormone due to injury or tumors; others lack normal growth-hormone activity from birth, owing to a genetic mutation; and others are missing the gene that codes for the hormone altogether.
20世纪80年代，一项“生物指标”在无法自然分泌人类生长激素的孩子们身上造就了小范围但却具有开创性的成功。有些孩子因伤或肿瘤而失去了分泌生长激素的能力；也有人由于基因突变从一出生就缺乏正常的生长激素活动；还有人根本就没有生长激素的基因密码。