Noninvasive Prenatal Blood Test To Predict Genetic Disorders

Cell-free, fetal DNA, prenatal diagnostic tests will be developed to predict common genetic disorders early in pregnancy.

A single, maternal blood draw will provide women with an accurate alternative to the invasive methods of amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling available today. Digital polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology and shotgun sequencing will analyze cell-free fetal DNA from maternal blood, particularly for the diagnosis of fetal genetic disorders such as Down's syndrome, Edwards' syndrome (trisomy 18), and Patau syndrome (trisomy 13).

Artemis Health Inc. (Menlo Park, CA, USA) acquired a co-exclusive worldwide license from Stanford University (SU; Palo Alto, CA, USA) to develop the cell-free fetal DNA prenatal diagnostic tests. The company acquired a suite of intellectual property from the lab of Stephen Quake, Ph.D., co-chair of the department of bioengineering at Stanford University and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI; Ashburn, VI, USA) investigator.

This license broadens the research and development programs at Artemis, which have been based primarily on the work of clinical advisor Dr. Diana Bianchi, for the isolation of intact fetal cells from maternal blood for advanced genetic analysis.

A safe prenatal diagnostic test offered early allows women and their families to make better-informed decisions about their pregnancies, and to prepare for potential problems with their infants.

Artemis Health Inc. is a privately held, diagnostics company focused on the development of noninvasive early-pregnancy prenatal tests for use in all pregnant women. Together with research and clinical institutions, the company is developing technology to transform the field of prenatal testing through the analysis of both whole-cell and cell-free fetal DNA isolated from maternal blood.

Related Links:
Artemis Health
Stanford University
Howard Hughes Institute