Protein–protein interactions and selection: array‐based techniques for screening disease‐associated biomarkers in predictive/early diagnosis

There has been considerable interest in recent years in the development of miniaturized and parallelized array technology for protein–protein interaction analysis and protein profiling, namely ‘protein‐detecting microarrays’. Protein‐detecting microarrays utilize a wide variety of capture agents (antibodies, fusion proteins, DNA/RNA aptamers, synthetic peptides, carbohydrates, and small molecules) immobilized at high spatial density on a solid surface. Each capture agent binds selectively to its target protein in a complex mixture, such as serum or cell lysate samples. Captured proteins are subsequently detected and quantified in a high‐throughput fashion, with minimal sample consumption. Protein‐detecting microarrays were first described by MacBeath and Schreiber in 2000, and the number of publications involving this technology is rapidly increasing. Furthermore, the first multiplex immunoassay systems have been cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration, signaling recognition of the usefulness of miniaturized and parallelized array technology for protein detection in predictive/early diagnosis. Although genetic tests still predominate, with further development protein‐based diagnosis will become common in clinical use within a few years.