Scanning a fetus’s genome just a few weeks after conception may soon be an option for expecting parents. Mom just needs to get a Pap smear first.
By scraping a woman’s cervix as early as five weeks into a pregnancy, researchers can collect enough fetal cells to test for abnormalities linked to more than 6,000 genetic disorders, researchers report November 2 in Science Translational Medicine. It’s not clear exactly how fetal cells make their way down to the cervix, says study coauthor Sascha Drewlo of Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit. But the cells may invade mom’s mucus-secreting glands, and then get washed into the cervical canal.
Current prenatal tests include amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling, but they work later in pregnancy: at least 12 weeks for amnio and at least nine weeks for CVS. Amnio requires a long needle threaded through a pregnant woman’s belly and uterus; CVS often does, too. Instead, Drewlo’s team gathered fetal trophoblast cells, which give rise to the placenta, and were able to examine the genomes of 20 fetuses.
上海419论坛最新
The new technique, which can work with as few as 125 fetal cells, could one day help physicians care for their tiniest patients. For some genetic conditions, such as congenital adrenal hyperplasia, early detection means mom can take some medicine to “actually treat the fetus in utero,” Drewlo says.
相关文章Exclusive: Hong Kong mutual benefit policy serves to complement rather than compete with potential partners: HKSAR Chief Executive
Editors Note: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Chief Executive, John Lee Ka-chiu (Lee), led a high-level delegation of 70 people to participate in the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held in Beijing from October 18 to 19. At the forum, he invited entrepreneurs to Hong Kong to set up belt and […]
Growing fondness: why are Arab youth increasingly drawn to China?A recent public opinion survey conducted in Dubai targeting Arab youth revealed that eight out of 10 respondents consider China an ally, marking the highest number of respondents to hold this view in four years. According to data from the United Nations Population Fund, the Arab region is characterized by a substantial youth population, with […]
China’s medical assistance boosts healthcare development in South Pacific region"For this surgery, we have prepared for more than half a year," Xiao Yuehai told the Global Times when talking about the first laparoscopic surgery carried out in Solomon Islands. Xiao is an urologist from the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University (AHGMU) and a member of the second group of Chinese medical workers dispatched […]
Shake down under
还没有评论,来说两句吧...