Genome-Wide Detection of Chromosomal Imbalances in Tumors

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Chromosomal imbalances such as deletions and amplifications are common rearrangements in most tumors. Specific rearrangements are consistently associated with specific tumor types or stages, implicating the role of the genes in a region of chromosomal imbalance in tumor initiation and progression. Recently a new technology, DNA microarray-based comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) has been developed. It is a useful tool for simultaneous detection of multiple genetic alterations with a high sensitivity and resolution. Now we are making original arrays using 5000 human BAC DNAs. In the near future, we will apply this array system to investigate amplification and deletion of genetic materials in various human cancers. A micrarray-based CGH analysis would provide a powerful platform for identifying candidate onocogenes and tumor suppressor genes associated with individual tumors.