Abstract: Differential display technique is an important method to isolate differentially expressed gene. Comparing to other methods like representational difference analysis, suppression subtractive hybridization and serial analysis of gene expression, differential display technique is used in higher frequency. Since it was established in 1992, it has overcome many disadvantages and widened its practical fields through improvements and enhancements by global researchers. In this paper the principle and the main advantages and disadvantages of differential display technique were briefly introduced. Meanwhile, the four progressed aspects in designing primer, reducing false positives, identifying differentially expressed gene and techniques derived from DD were introduced in detail.