The promise of transcription profiling for understanding the pathogenesis of scleroderma

Transcription profiling, expression fingerprinting, and microarray analysis are terms that describe the cataloging of mRNA levels in a given tissue. Recent profiling technologies allow the determination of thousands of mRNA transcript levels simultaneously. The application of this technology to scleroderma has already offered insights into the disease. This article reviews these recent findings and also describes the technology itself in its several variations, along with cost comparisons. Finally, the types of information we might derive from transcription profiling are reviewed and it is asked whether this technology will significantly advance our understanding of scleroderma.