ABSTRACT
The DNA microarray is a powerful technology for measuring gene expression profiles that has found broad use in basic and translational cancer research. The effective use of this technology, however, requires specialized biostatistical expertise that is not readily available for many laboratories. It is also difficult for those reading the research literature to distinguish substance from hype and to determine when findings are ready for broad clinical application. In this chapter, we will attempt to provide a summary of the key principles involved in the effective use of microarray expression profiling in translational research in terms that should be meaningful to laboratory scientists and clinicians. We will emphasize that the DNA microarray is just an assay, and its effectiveness is determined by study design and analysis principles. Because microarrays produce so much data from each specimen, they offer greater opportunities and greater dangers than traditional assays. We shall attempt to highlight both the power and the potential pitfalls involved in the microarray transcript profiling.
