What Potent Blood: Non-Invasive Prenatal Genetic Diagnosis and the Transformation of Modern Prenatal Care

Abstract

What potent blood hath modest May,What fiery force the earth renews,The wealth of forms, the flush of hues ….—Ralph Waldo EmersonSomeday soon, virtually any pregnant woman will be able to learn — with 98-99% accuracy — whether her fetus has contracted a serious genetic disorder by undergoing nothing more than an inexpensive, non-invasive blood test. For years, scientists have sought a method of prenatal testing that could boast both high levels of accuracy and low levels of risk. The most promising solution lies in an exciting recent discovery: tiny quantities of fetal cells and DNA cross over into the mother's bloodstream during pregnancy. If the fetal genetic material can be successfully isolated from the maternal blood, it can be used to diagnose a number of genetic disorders, such as Down Syndrome, cystic fibrosis, Tay-Sachs disease, and sickle cell anemia. Indeed, researchers have spent the last decade developing ways to accomplish this.