Gene expression profiling of endocrine tumors by microarray analysis

&NA; In recent years, high‐throughput technologies such as microarrays have allowed comprehensive genetic profiling of a variety of diseases. Many types of tumors, including those of endocrine origin, have been subjected to microarray profiling. To the delight of most scientists, not only can the analysis of thousands of genes expressed in the tumors glean invaluable information regarding tumor biology, but one can also correlate the data with clinical parameters including diagnosis, prognosis, and drug response. In addition, some of these genes will likely serve as novel targets for future therapeutic intervention. We review here some of these technologies with a focus on their application to tumors of endocrine origin. We believe that these technologies, most of which are still evolving, will become mainstay research tools for biomedical research including the diagnosis and treatment of endocrine tumors. Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes 10:162–167 © 2003 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins