Protein Microarrays and their Fabrication

Protein microarrays are an important tool when analyzing multiple analytes simultaneously. As the human genome contains approximately 20,000 genes, examining the interactions of even just one representative protein for each gene requires a high-throughput technique. For instance, the interaction between glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), a form of polysaccharide, and chemokines, small chemoattractant proteins, is critical for local inflammation. GAGs present in the glycocalyx on the surface of the cell bind to chemokines, which are released in response to injury. These chemokines can then form concentration gradients that direct the migration and recruitment of leucocytes via leukocyte receptors which in turn leads to immune cell responses, inflammation, or innate immunity and cell or antibody-mediated immune responses. Discovering the novel interactions between the GAGs and chemokines can help in designing drugs which can alter cellular binding to organ tissues, thereby potentially reducing damaging innate immune (inflammation) or acquired immune (antibody-mediated) responses.