FETAL CELLS IN THE MATERNAL BLOOD: CURRENT AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES FOR PRENATAL DIAGNOSIS

Abstract

Prenatal diagnosis for genetic abnormalities in the fetus depends on the availability of cells that contain fetal DNA. Such cells can be obtained by amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling (CVS), but these invasive procedures carry a definite risk for mother and fetus, so that, many pregnant women are reluctant to expose themselves and their fetuses to risk posed by these procedures.

An alternative, risk - free, non - invasive source for fetal cells is the maternal peripheral blood. Prenatal diagnosis could be made available to all pregnant women irrespective of their ages or histories.

The bilateral trafficking of nucleated cells between mother and fetus is well recognized and fetal cells circulate in the maternal blood during early pregnancy. However, the extreme scarcity of these cells leads to a variety of biological questions and technical hurdles on the way to a clinical test. On the biological side, we need to know the number of fetal cells, and the variables that affect their properties. On the technical side, we need to identify fetal cells and maximize both yield and purity of the isolation procedure.