Chapter 1 : Proteomics and Genomics Methodology in the Clinical Immunology Laboratory

Abstract:

Major advances in proteomics and genomics have occurred and these are further impacting the field of diagnostic and clinical immunology. The completion of the Human Genome Project has fueled the field of genomics and provided the critical database from which to expand genomic studies. A vast array of proteins provides a wide range of functional elements in the immune system. Expanded evaluation of these critical products should provide new insights into the biology of the immune system and pathology of immunologic disorders. The future will depend on linking genomic and proteomic studies as partners in understanding the immune response and characterizing the underlying basis of immunologic diseases. Parallel developments in the field of genomics also impact on the field of diagnostic and clinical immunology. The information garnered by the expanding range of analytes and technologies available to evaluate the proteome and genome is fueling a new vision of scientific discovery referred to as systems biology. This integrated proteomic and genomic approach should afford far better understanding of the perturbations that lead to human disease.