Application of Toxicogenomics to Toxicology: Basic Concepts in the Analysis of Microarray Data

Toxicology and the practice of pathology are rapidly evolving in the postgenomic era. Observable treatment related changes have been the hallmark of toxicology studies. Toxicogenomics is a powerful new tool that may show gene and protein changes earlier and at treatment levels below the limits of detection of traditional measures of toxicity. It may also aid in the understanding of toxic mechanisms. It is important to remember that it is only a tool and will provide meaningful results only when properly applied. As is often the case with new experimental tools, the initial utilization is driven more by the technology than application to problem solving. Toxicogenomics is interdisciplinary in nature including at a minimum, pathology, toxicology, and genomics. Most studies will require the input from the disciplines of toxicology, pathology, molecular biology, bioinformatics, biochemistry, and others depending on the types of questions being asked.