title: Gene expression profiling to identify druggable targets in prion diseases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite many recent advances in prion research, the molecular mechanisms by which prions cause neurodegeneration have not been established. In fact, the complexity and the novelty characterizing this class of disorders pose a huge challenge to drug discovery. Pharmacogenomics has recently adopted high-throughput transcriptome analyses to predict potential drug target candidates, with promising results in various fields of medicine.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present work offers an overview of the transcriptional alterations induced by prion infection in different biological systems. Hereafter, therapeutic approaches are discussed in light of the identified altered processes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This review offers readers a detailed overview on microarray analyses, taking into account their advantages and limitations. Our work can help readers, from many research areas, to design a suitable microarray experiment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  So far, drugs acting on the pathways identified by microarray analysis have not been found to be effective in prion diseases therapy. An integration of gene expression profiling, proteomics and physiology should be applied to pursue this aim.
authors: Laboratory of Prion Biology, Neurobiology Sector, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati-International School of Advanced Studies (SISSA-ISAS), Edificio Q1, Basovizza, Trieste, Italy.
authors: Federico
authors: F
authors: Benetti
authors: Lisa
authors: L
authors: Gasperini
authors: Mattia
authors: M
authors: Zampieri
authors: Giuseppe
authors: G
authors: Legname