Global Gene Expression Analysis of the Living Human Fetus Using Cell-Free Messenger RNA in Amniotic Fluid

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Abstract
Because of the inherent difficulties with research on human fetuses, the analysis of fetal gene expression has in large part been limited to the examination of tissue from human abortuses and the assessment of animal models for genes and developmental pathways that are conserved across species. Fetal monitoring in vivo is limited to noninvasive methods such as the measurement of uterine size or anatomic evaluation by fetal sonography. In addition, genetic analysis can be performed on amniotic fluid components, including amniocytes, which typically require time-consuming expansion in vitro before use, and cell-free proteins in the amniotic fluid, such as α-fetoprotein, which can serve as biomarkers for genetic anomalies. The cell-free component of the amniotic fluid is discarded after these analyses and is therefore available for research and future clinical applications.

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