Scheel Julia, Von Brevern Marie-Charlotte, Hörlein Andreas, Fischer Achim, Schneider Armin, Bach Alfred
Axaron Bioscience AG, Im Neuenheimer Feld 515, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
Pharmacogenomics. 2002 Nov;3(6):791-807. doi: 10.1517/14622416.3.6.791.
Transcriptomics has become an important tool for the large-scale analysis of biological processes. This review aims to provide sufficient criteria to make an appropriate choice among the variety of 'closed' systems, represented by DNA microarrays, and 'open' systems like fragment display, tag sequencing and subtractive hybridization, depending on the biological system under investigation. The most important technologies currently available are presented, their strengths and weaknesses are discussed and companies active in the field are listed. The potential of transcriptomics in the pharmaceutical research and development process is highlighted by applications in oncology, research on neurological diseases, and predictive toxicology. Finally, a prognosis for future developments of the technologies is given.
转录组学已成为大规模分析生物过程的重要工具。本综述旨在提供充分的标准，以便根据所研究的生物系统，在以DNA微阵列为代表的各种“封闭”系统和诸如片段展示、标签测序及消减杂交等“开放”系统之间做出恰当选择。文中介绍了目前可用的最重要技术，讨论了它们的优缺点，并列出了该领域的活跃公司。肿瘤学、神经疾病研究和预测毒理学中的应用突出了转录组学在药物研发过程中的潜力。最后，对这些技术的未来发展进行了展望。
