Brain on a Chip: A Method to Detect Novel Neuroprotective Candidate Targets

The search of potential novel therapeutical targets for neuroprotection has been widely intensified since the usefulness of microarray techniques. Indeed, this recent technology (also called Gene chip) provides a powerful tool to examine gene expression changes of thousands of genes at the same time, on a single chip in the brain. Arrays can paint a picture or “profile” (gene profiling, gene expression patterns) of which genes in the genome are active in a particular cell type and under a particular condition. In this chapter, we will describe the methods to perform microarrays and analyze the following data using GeneChip� technology (Affymetrix, Inc., Santa Clara, CA, USA), to identify, for example, potential brain neuroprotective targets. Moreover, step-by-step explanations of software operation will be provided. Finally, methods are presented to validate the gene expression changes revealed from the microarray analyses.