The amniotic fluid transcriptome: a source of novel information about human fetal development.

Objective: Amniotic fluid is a complex biological material that provides a unique window into the developing human. Residual amniotic fluid supernatant contains cell-free fetal RNA. The objective of this study was to develop an understanding of the amniotic fluid core transcriptome by analyzing the transcripts ubiquitously present in the amniotic fluid supernatant of euploid midtrimester fetuses.

Prenatal pharmacotherapy for fetal anomalies: a 2011 update.

Fetal therapy can be defined as any prenatal treatment administered to the mother with the primary indication to improve perinatal or long-term outcomes for the fetus or newborn. This review provides an update of the pharmacological therapies that are solely directed at the fetus with anomalies and outlines a future transcriptomic approach. Fetal anomalies targeted with prenatal pharmacotherapy are a heterogeneous group of structural, endocrine, and metabolic conditions, including congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation (CCAM), congenital adrenal hyperplasia, congenital heart block, fetal tachyarrhythmias, inborn errors of metabolism, fetal thyroid disorders, and polyhydramnios.

Cell-free fetal nucleic acids in amniotic fluid.

Background: Research into cell-free fetal (cff) nucleic acids has primarily focused on maternal plasma; however, cff DNA and RNA are also detectable in other body fluids such as amniotic fluid (AF). In AF, cff DNA is present in much greater concentrations than in maternal plasma and represents a pure fetal sample uncontaminated by maternal- and trophoblast-derived nucleic acids. The aim of this review was to summarize the current knowledge on cff nucleic acids in AF and to outline future research directions.