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Microarrays and transcriptome analysis in renal transplantation

Nature Clinical Practice Nephrology volume 2, pages 2–3 (2006)Cite this article

The emergence of HIGH-DENSITY MICROARRAY technology, combined with the elucidation of the human and mouse genomes, has the potential to radically change the diagnosis and management of renal graft dysfunction and rejection. Microarray studies of the renal TRANSCRIPTOME offer a great opportunity to explore the basic mechanisms of human kidney disease and their relationship to pathology and function.

Currently, clinical evaluation of a renal transplant is heavily dependent on assessment of organ injury. The BANFF SCHEMA is the gold standard for histopathologic diagnosis in renal transplants, and was a major step forward in standardizing evaluation of graft pathology;1 however, it relies on subjective interpretation, and agreement between independent assessments is often limited.2 At present, clinicians have no way of monitoring mechanisms of potential kidney injury before the damage occurs. This would be analogous to attempting to control hypertension or atherosclerosis by monitoring end-organ damage, without measuring blood pressure or cholesterol level. There is a need for new diagnostic tools and screening tests to provide investigators and clinicians with more insight into mechanisms of injury in the renal allograft.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Alberta Transplant Institute at the University of Alberta,

    Philip F Halloran & Gunilla Einecke

  2. University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada

    Philip F Halloran & Gunilla Einecke

Authors
  1. Philip F Halloran
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  2. Gunilla Einecke
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Correspondence to Philip F Halloran.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Halloran, P., Einecke, G. Microarrays and transcriptome analysis in renal transplantation. Nat Rev Nephrol 2, 2–3 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncpneph0066

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