Identification of new cancer-related molecular markers by expression genetics approach

Genetic changes occured in tumor cells can be identified at the cellular le vel by DNA analysis, RNA analysis, or protein analysis. Expression genetics , whose objects are RNA molecules, has recently developed an approach to id entification of genetic changes, based on the screening of differential gen e expression between tumor cells and their normal counterparts. In contrast to classical methods focused on the search for mutated genes in tumor cell s, the methods of expression genetics are available in addition for the iso lation of cancer-related genes unchanged at the genomic level. The utilizat ion of expression genetics methods for the identification of new molecular markers of different tumor types, in particular new protooncogenes and supp ressor genes, is analized in the review.