Pharmacogenomics: Identification of New Drug Targets
Issues And Trends In Healthcare Delivery System
You might also read
Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.
Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Next Generation Sequencing for the Detection of Actionable Mutations in Solid and Liquid Tumors
Published on: September 20, 2016
Hong Fang1, Stephen C Harris, Zhenjiang Su
1Z-Tech Corporation, ICF International Company, Jefferson, AR, USA.
ArrayTrack is a specialized software platform developed by the FDA to help researchers manage, analyze, and interpret complex genomic data. It integrates gene expression information with biological pathways to support the evaluation of toxicological studies. The tool is publicly accessible and serves both regulatory review and independent scientific research.
Area of Science:
Background:
The field of toxicogenomics faces significant hurdles regarding the effective management of high-throughput biological datasets. Researchers often struggle to integrate diverse omics information into a cohesive framework for meaningful interpretation. Prior work has highlighted that robust computational infrastructure remains a primary requirement for advancing predictive toxicology. That uncertainty drove the development of specialized platforms designed to handle massive data volumes. It was already known that DNA microarrays generate complex outputs requiring sophisticated processing pipelines. This gap motivated the creation of systems capable of linking raw experimental results with established functional annotations. No prior work had resolved the need for a unified interface that bridges regulatory review requirements with public scientific accessibility. The current landscape demands tools that simplify the transition from raw data to biological understanding.
Purpose Of The Study:
The aim of this project is to develop a public microarray data management and analysis software platform. This initiative addresses the need for robust bioinformatics capabilities in the field of toxicogenomics. The researchers sought to create a system that simplifies the interpretation of massive amounts of experimental data. A primary motivation was to provide a tool that supports both regulatory review and independent scientific research. The team focused on integrating functional information from public databases with raw genomic results. They aimed to bridge the gap between data storage and meaningful biological insight. This work addresses the challenge of managing diverse omics information, including proteomics and metabonomics, within a single framework. The authors intended to provide a publicly accessible resource that enhances the reliability of toxicological studies.
Main Methods:
Review Approach framing involves describing the development of a public software platform for managing and analyzing microarray information. The design focuses on creating an integrated environment that links raw experimental outputs with functional biological annotations. Developers utilized various public databases to populate the system with comprehensive gene, protein, and pathway information. The approach emphasizes the consolidation of diverse data streams, including proteomics and metabonomics, into a single repository. Researchers implemented a toolbox containing multiple visualization and statistical analysis modules for user interaction. The system architecture supports both individual platform investigations and complex multi-omics integration tasks. This methodology ensures that clinical and non-clinical study data are stored alongside their corresponding genomic results. The project team provides both online access and local installation options to accommodate diverse user requirements.
Main Results:
Key Findings From the Literature indicate that the software successfully integrates gene expression data with functional information to streamline interpretation. The platform supports the storage of a full range of information related to DNA microarrays. It also manages digested data derived from proteomics and metabonomics experiments. Users can select from a rich collection of analysis methods within the software toolbox. The system facilitates the direct linking of analysis results to individual gene, pathway, and Gene Ontology information. This integration simplifies the overall process of data analysis and interpretation for researchers. The tool is currently employed in the routine review of genomic data submitted to the FDA. Public availability is maintained through an online portal, ensuring widespread access to these bioinformatics capabilities.
Conclusions:
Synthesis and Implications suggest that ArrayTrack provides a unified environment for managing diverse omics datasets. The authors propose that integrating functional annotations directly with experimental results simplifies complex data interpretation workflows. This platform facilitates the routine review of genomic submissions while remaining accessible to the broader scientific community. Researchers can link analytical outcomes to specific biological pathways and gene ontologies through this integrated system. The tool supports the storage and processing of proteomics and metabonomics information alongside standard microarray data. By providing a comprehensive toolbox, the software enhances the ability of users to perform multi-omics integration. The authors indicate that this infrastructure supports both clinical and non-clinical study requirements effectively. These capabilities demonstrate how centralized software resources can bridge the gap between raw data generation and actionable toxicological knowledge.
The researchers propose that the software simplifies interpretation by linking gene expression data directly to functional pathways and Gene Ontology analysis. This integration allows users to move seamlessly from raw experimental results to biological context, which is often difficult when using disparate, non-integrated analysis platforms.
ArrayTrack functions as a comprehensive management and analysis suite. It stores information from DNA microarrays, proteomics, and metabonomics experiments while providing a rich collection of functional annotations drawn from various public biological databases for facilitating data interpretation across different study types.
A local installation version is available for users who require it. The authors state that prospective users can obtain this version by contacting the NCTR directly, which is necessary for those needing to manage sensitive data or perform offline processing tasks.
The software integrates gene expression data, functional information, and analysis methods into one system. This role ensures that users can select specific tools from a toolbox and apply them to microarray datasets without needing to switch between different software environments for interpretation.
Users can perform individual platform data analysis, integrate multiple omics datasets, and combine omics results with clinical or non-clinical study information. This measurement capability allows for a more holistic view of toxicological impacts compared to analyzing single-omics datasets in isolation.
The authors claim that this software is used in the routine review of genomic data submitted to the FDA. They suggest that this public availability helps standardize the evaluation of toxicological studies, benefiting both regulatory bodies and the wider scientific community.