CHAPTER 6: Sample Preparation and Profiling: Probing the Kinome for Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets: Peptide Arrays for Global Phosphorylation-Mediated Signal Transduction

There is a growing appreciation of the intimate relationship between protein kinase activities and human health. Cellular kinases, individually or as a collective unit (the kinome), perform indispensable roles in regulating complex biology, underlie many disease states, and represent high-priority drug targets. Recent trends of drug development, where kinase inhibitors are becoming increasingly common, highlight the potential therapeutic opportunities made available through kinase investigations. There is also considerable evidence that understanding cellular responses at the level of kinase activity has the potential to reveal complex biology as well as identify biomarkers and therapeutic targets. With these appreciations, there is growing interest in the development of technologies that enable high-throughput characterization of kinome activity. Of these emerging technologies peptide arrays are proving a robust and adaptable tool for kinome characterizations.