Monitoring proteins and protein networks using reverse phase protein arrays.

Recent advances in high throughput, high content "omic" technologies coupled with clinical information has lead to the expectation that the complexity of the molecular information generated will lead to more robust scientific research as well as the expectation that overarching therapeutic approaches will be patient-tailored to the underlying specific molecular defects of the disease. As disease understanding progresses and more therapeutics, which predominately target proteins, are developed there is a need to more confidently determine the protein signaling events that can be correlated with drug response since the deranged protein signaling networks are often the drug target itself. In this environment, the Reverse Phase Protein Microarray (RPMA) can be utilized to address the needs of both clinical screening and disease understanding through its ability to provide an unmatched functional and highly multiplexed signaling network level mapping of ongoing signaling activation, coupled with the ability of the platform to provide this information reproducibly from a tiny needle biopsy specimen or fine needle aspirate. This platform has now been utilized for biomarker discovery/validation and advancements in disease understanding both in the clinic and at the bench in the fields of cancer, liver disease, immunological disorders, and bacterial infection.