Expression profiling in pancreatic cancer research: the initial steps and the road ahead

A part of living in a new and exciting era for the biologic sciences and medicine, novel high throughput tools allow exploration of the human genome in an unprecedented manner. This "information revolution" is fueled by the study of genome-wide expression profiles for complex biologic and pathophysiologic conditions using DNA arrays, as well as the development and use of robust bioinformatic algorithms. Meticulous translational experiments are becoming possible because of the development of efficient DNA printing technology for producing high-density microarrays. Therefore, there is no doubt that microarray experiments, combined with bioinformatics, will advance the understanding of the pathobiology of pancreatic cancer, assist in the diagnoses and prognoses of this disease, and develop novel therapies. In this article, the most recent advances in the application of microarray technology to pancreatic cancer research are reviewed, and areas for further development are identified.