DNA Microarray Determines Breast Cancer Status

By using DNA microarray for gene profiling, researchers at Duke University (Durham, NC, USA) are able to determine estrogen receptor status and lymph node status of breast tumor samples. Their work was reported in the September 25, 2001, issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

In using gene chips, or DNA microarray, researchers can examine thousands of genes from a single tumor sample. They extract messenger RNA (mRNA) from each tumor and then apply the mRNA from each tumor to a chip where the mRNA transcribed from a particular gene interacts with the gene sample on the microarray. Fluorescent markers on the mRNA are used to measure the level of mRNA, showing which genes are actively expressed in which tumor. The researchers believe the technique will lead to new diagnostic tests that can predict the status of tumors with considerable precision. The ability to predict lymph node status could obviate the need for the extensive and risky surgery involved in removing lymph nodes.

"Large-scale gene expression information holds the promise of improved clinical diagnosis and treatment strategies, but it depends on developing statistical tools needed to analyze the data,” said Joseph Nevins, senior author of the study and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at Duke.




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