[Impact of DNA chips on haematological oncology]

As the Human Genome Project hurtles towards completion, DNA microarray technology offers the potential to open wide new windows into the study of genome complexity. DNA chips can be used for many different purposes, most prominently to measure levels of gene expression (messenger RNA abundance) for tens of thousands of genes simultaneously. But how much of this data is useful and is some superfluous? Can array data be used to identify a handful of critical genes that will lead to a more detailed taxonomy of haematological malignancies and can this or similar array data be used to predict clinical outcome? It is still too early to predict what the ultimate impact of DNA chips will be on our understanding of cancer biology. There are many critically important questions about this new field that are yet unaddressed. By the publication of this article, it is hoped that the technology of DNA chips will be opened up and demystified, and that additional opportunities for creative exploration will be catalysed.