Describing Microarray Testing Method For Tumor Antigens (Essay Sample)

Microarray Testing Method: Tumor Antigens
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Microarray Testing Method: Tumor Antigens
Pathogenesis is the development of disease that starts as a direct infection to a particular pathologic expression. Tumor antigens result from tumor cells that produce antigens, which remain on surface of the cell or released in bloodstream. Most human cancers such as breast, prostate, melanoma, colon, lung carcinoma etc. have been proved to have tumor antigens. In this case, the immune system detects antigens by responding to tumor cells. It is a challenge to effectively use these responses to protect or treat cancer but they vary and often not sufficient in preventing growth of tumor. This essay aims at presenting a basis of a microarray testing method that identifies tumor antigens through tumor cDNA expression library screening against sera cancer.
It was in the year 1995 that there was the development of serological analysis of cDNA recombinant expression library. This analysis was done by producing tumor cDNA expression library, causing clones on nitrocellulose membrane filter, and probing the membrane with cells obtained from same individual sera (Whittemore & Sykes, 2013). Microarrays testing method is divided into two: unbiased and biased. The biased one contains proteins that are known and can be probed with sera whereas the unbiased one spots cDNA library cell lysate into slide and allow previous proteins to be discovered because any protein in tumor might be in library.
The basis of this microarray method lies in its benefits. It has a nature that is high-throughput and its reaction takes a small surface together with even distribution of sera over the surface (Gabrilovich, 2017). Besides, quantity of data that is produced and dynamic range of signal intensities are high. However, it has its own disadvantages that involve high costs and the high quantity of data produced requires data analysis software in interpreting results.
This approach is best used to screen the tumor antigens leading to tum...