Molecular Profiling Research Program
Microarrays
Developed by Patrick Brown, MD, PhD, in the early 1990s, microarray technology has transformed the ability of researchers to assess differences in genetic expression between normal and cancerous cells.
The Systematic Molecular Profiling of Cancer Research Program advances the standard of care for cancer patients worldwide through the molecular and genetic profiling of human cancers and their subtypes.
By correlating their findings to the progression, therapeutic responsiveness and clinical outcomes of different cancers, researchers aim to identify further clinical variation within each cancer type, new diagnostic and prognostic markers and new molecular targets for future therapies.
Representing ten departments in the Schools of Medicine and Humanities and Sciences, program investigators employ a number of parallel approaches in their studies. These include:
- DNA microarrays
- protein microarrays
- chromatography
- capillary electrophoresis
- mass spectroscopy
- proteomic approaches
- tissue microarrays
- chemically evolved molecular imaging agents
Program members also work to evolve established technologies such as today’s microarrays while pursuing new approaches. This innovation has led to a number of important advances including:
- Novel activity-based probes for all major classes of proteases capable of imaging enzyme activity in cells, tissue and whole animals
- A powerful new method for analyzing the molecules within a single cell
- The new DNA display technique, which enables the in vitro evolution of small molecules based on their specific interactions with protein targets and offers tremendous potential for the discovery of new compounds to detect, diagnose and treat cancer
Program research focuses on the following key areas:
- Systematic Profiling of Gene Expression in Human Cancers
- Statistical and Computational Methods for Identifying Important Features in Gene Expression Profiles of Cancer
- Causes and Consequences of Cancer-associated Alterations in Global Gene Expression Programs
Program Directors
Trial Administration