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Cover Story
Ovarian
Cancer: New Frontiers in Detection Technology
By Conan Li
The lethality of ovarian cancer stems from our
inability to diagnose it easily; it's symptoms – such
as nausea and abdominal discomfort – are common to
many disorders.
Features
Critical
Biomarkers Revealed Through Novel Expression Profiling
of miRNAs
By David Brown , Emmanuel Labourier , Sapna
Chacko
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are an important class of small
(21–23 nt), single-stranded RNA molecules expressed in
animals and plants that specifically regulate the
translation of messenger RNAs (mRNAs). Although these
evolutionarily conserved, non-coding molecules first
were identified in a genetic screen more than 10 years
ago (1), the depth of the miRNA gene class was
recognized comparatively recently. As would be expected
for molecules that regulate gene expression, miRNA
levels have been shown to vary between tissues and
developmental stages. Characterization of a number of
miRNAs indicates that they influence processes such as
early development (2), cell proliferation, cell death
(3), apoptosis and fat metabolism (4).
Metrics and Management
Informatics
Goes Global by Being Local
By Gordon W. Logan
The relatively poor productivity of today's
pharmaceutical discovery process is well documented. In
fact, there seems to be an entire conference circuit
designed specifically to tell us how difficult things
are and will continue to be in the near future.
Discussion topic: is attendance at such events a
productive use of one's time and money? Hmm...
Microarrays on the
Spot
The
Value of a Proficiency Testing Program to Monitor
Performance in Microarray Laboratories
By Laura H. Reid , Steve Casey
The use of microarray technology for gene expression
measurements has exploded over the past ten years. This
powerful tool now occupies the forefront of the genomic
revolution, and microarray data is permeating multiple
areas of research. Surprisingly, there remains little
standardization and no certification of microarray
experiments despite the fact that they are beginning to
appear in new drug applications submitted to the FDA.
The microarray field needs tools to evaluate the quality
of particular data sets and the performance of
microarray facilities generating the results.
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