Applications of microarray in reproductive medicine

In the genomic era, cDNA microarray (DNA chip) technology has become a very important and powerful tool for high-throughput comprehensive analysis of gene expression, genotyping and re-sequencing applications in almost every field of biomedical research. Large-scale transcriptional profiling analyses using microarrays are frequently used to explore gene expression patterns in order to better understand the molecular mechanisms of physiology and pathogenesis: these are the basis for the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Recently, this powerful technique has been used with laser capture microdissection (LCM) and linear aRNA amplification (in vitro transcription), and used in reproductive medical research. Recent studies of microarray-related techniques used to study oocyte fertilization, early embryo development, implantation and some infertility-related diseases (endometriosis and myoma) are discussed and summarized in this review.