title: The amniotic fluid transcriptome as a guide to understanding fetal disease.
abstract: Numerous recent studies have shown the power of cell-free fetal RNA, obtained from amniotic fluid supernatant, to report on the development of the living fetus in real time. Examination of these transcripts on a genome-wide basis has led to new insights into the prenatal pathophysiology of multiple genetic, developmental, and environmental diseases. Each studied condition presents a unique, characteristic fetal transcriptome, which points to specific disrupted molecular pathways. These studies have also improved our knowledge of the normal development of the human fetus, revealing gestational age-related dynamic gene expression from a variety of organs. Analysis of the fetal transcriptome in normal and abnormal development has led to novel approaches for in utero prenatal treatment.
authors: Mother Infant Research Institute, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02111.
authors: Lillian M
authors: LM
authors: Zwemer
authors: Mother Infant Research Institute, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02111.
authors: Diana W
authors: DW
authors: Bianchi
mesh_terms: D000653:Amniotic Fluid; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000235:genetics*; D005333:Fetus / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015870:Gene Expression; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D015894:Genome, Human; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics; D059467:Transcriptome / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D012313:RNA