[A new dimension of DNA analysis: genomic profiling by matrix CGH]

Analysis of genetic alterations in tumor cells represent a first step to understand the molecular mechanism of cancer etiology and development. Due to the progress in genome research, it is feasible to assess the complexity of genomic changes on a large scale. Protocols for gene expression profiling using cDNA arrays have been developed allowing to test the activity of almost all human genes in tumor cells. Another important approach is matrix-CGH which was recently developed to assess gains and losses on the genomic level with high resolution. This method not only allows to narrow down the position of novel oncogenes or tumor suppressor-genes but also contributes to a refinement of tumor classifications. Since matrix-CGH can be performed under highly standardized conditions in a fully automatized way, it is suited for diagnostics in clinical laboratories.