High-throughput protein arrays: prospects for molecular diagnostics

• Published in: Trends in molecular medicine Vol. 8; no. 6; pp. 250 - 253
• Main Authors: Walter, Gerald, Büssow, Konrad, Lueking, Angelika, Glökler, Jörn
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2002
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies; antibody array; aptamer; Gene Expression Profiling; high-throughput protein array; Humans; microarray; microfluidic array; Molecular Diagnostic Techniques - methods; nanofluidic array; Nanotechnology - methods; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis - methods; Peptide Library; PROfusion; Proteomics - methods; Biotechnology; microarray; Techniques & Methods; PROfusion; aptamer; antibody array; high-throughput protein array; Molecular Medicine; microfluidic array; nanofluidic array
• ISSN: 1471-4914; 1471-499X
• DOI: 10.1016/S1471-4914(02)02352-3

High-throughput protein arrays allow the miniaturized and parallel analysis of large numbers of diagnostic markers in complex samples. Using automated colony picking and gridding, cDNA or antibody libraries can be expressed and screened as clone arrays. Protein microarrays are constructed from recombinantly expressed, purified, and yet functional proteins, entailing a range of optimized expression systems. Antibody microarrays are becoming a robust format for expression profiling of whole genomes. Alternative systems, such as aptamer, PROfusion™, nano- and microfluidic arrays are all at proof-of-concept stage. Differential protein profiles have been used as molecular diagnostics for cancer and autoimmune diseases and might ultimately be applied to screening of high-risk and general populations. High-throughput protein arrays are still largely experimental but have taken the first steps towards becoming diagnostic tools, which will eventually arrive at the doctor's practice and as over-the-counter devices.