Array-based comparative genomic hybridization as a tool for solving practical biological and medical questions

Abstract

Genetic aberrations, as losses of genetic material (deletions) or localized gains that affect certain regions of the genome, have been shown to be the basis of many diseases or human pathologies. Rare diseases, such as developmental abnormalities or mental retardation, or much more prevalent pathologies, such as cancer, are characterized by the occurrence of one or more of such genetic alterations in the genome that lead to changes in DNA sequence copy number.