[Application of DNA microarray technology in immunological research and its inspiration to researches on traditional...

DNA microarray technology is a high throughout method that can analyze the expression of thousands of genes at the same time to form a complete cellular gene expression profile. It has been applied in immunological researches such as the development, maturation, activation and differentiation of immune cells, the regulation of immune responses, the molecular mechanism of allergy, the relation between phenotype and gene expression, and immunological pharmacology, etc. It has deepened our perception of the immune system. It will as well be helpful in the research of the regulative mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) toward immune cells and immune responses, the therapeutic mechanisms of TCM toward allergy, the standardization of differentiation of syndrome and herbal pharmacology, etc. The data analysis of the results of DNA microarray experiments is aimed to compare the difference of gene expression levels of different samples and obtain diagnostic gene expression profiles. But there are controversies about the number of samples and choices of statistical methods. Researchers are striving in setting standards of DNA microarray experiments.