[DNA chips for gene expression analysis and their application in diagnostics]

Due to large genome projects more and more genetic information and more and more data about genetic background of various diseases can be obtained. By means of microarrays thousands to hundreds of thousands of molecular analysis can be performed at a time, rapidly, under identical conditions, hereby microarrays provide a solution to continuously increasing throughput demands from large genomic, pharmacogenetic and proteomic programmes. Microarrays offer unprecedented opportunities for qualitative and quantitative analysis of gene expression, understanding gene function and detection gene alterations, polimorphisms. Microarray expression profiles will define stages of different tumor types and new prognostic subgroups in cancer and other diseases. For individual patients, more precise diagnosis and risk assessment based on expression profiles are already achievable, leading to more accurate determination of prognosis and more individually tailored treatment. Microarrays will play an important role in diagnostics of infectious diseases and identification of novel diagnostic and therapeutic targets. Wide-spread application of microarrays in clinical practice is not typical today, but their production on an industrial scale and the increased information provided by microarrays should assure their entry into clinical practice as very powerful, sensitive, specific and rapid tools of diagnostics of various diseases.