Gene Expression Microarray Technology: Some Applications in Lung Cancer Research

Abstract

Gene expression microarray technology has the unique advantage of allowing the study of the expression of thousands of genes simultaneously in cancer cells and tissues. This review provides an overview of how microarrays have been applied to many areas of cancer research, such as biomarker identification, improved diagnostics and targeted therapy, focusing in particular on lung cancer studies. Advances made in the field of microarrays, especially in interpretation of microarray data, have the potential to significantly increase our understanding of the causes and progression of different types of cancer and, hence, to enhance the treatment of patients suffering from these diseases.