Abstract
Author: Olivia Scaros, PharmD
The development and growth of assay technologies has pushed translational
medicine into a category unto itself. In a broad perspective on this field,
this new report:
- Defines translational medicine by giving some historical background as
well as providing personal definitions from experts in the field
- Discusses the evolution of assay technologies
- Reviews currently available assay technologies that apply directly to
translational medicine
- Describes and evaluates current applications of these technologies
- Provides case studies of clinicians currently using this technology in
their research
- Discusses future directions of assay technologies for translational
medicine
- Gives input from the FDA on translation medicine and assay technologies
- Provides interviews from experts in the field of both translational
medicine and specific assay technologies
- Profiles premier companies active in the field
Assay technologies have been evolving since scientists first discovered they
could measure glucose, insulin, and several hormones in the blood to help them
diagnose disease. Early instruments such as the Ames Reflectance Meter, used
for detecting glucose levels, have morphed into such sophisticated systems as
flow cytometers. The Human Genome Project provided the basics for researchers
to launch into the field of human genomics and they needed the tools to
accomplish this. DNA microarrays allowed for massively parallel gene
expression analyses. Scientists soon discovered that while the genomewide
assays were extremely valuable, there were genes of interest that they had
difficulty measuring when they got hundreds of data points from a microarray.
Low- to mid-density assays have allowed scientists to pinpoint the genetic
code for a variety of uses, from genetic heredity studies to drug metabolism
and patient stratification.
View Cart
