Toxicogenomics: challenges and opportunities

Abstract

Toxicogenomics describes the measurement of global gene expression changes in biological samples exposed to toxicants. This new technology promises to greatly facilitate research into toxicant mechanisms, with the possibility of assisting in the detection of compounds with the potential to cause adverse health effects earlier in the development of pharmaceutical and chemical products. In this short review, I discuss the opportunities presented by toxicogenomics, the challenges we face in the application of these tools, and the progress we have made in realising the potential of these new genomic approaches.