 |
|
|
|
|
June 7th, 2012
05:24 PM ET
Baby's DNA constructed before birthMom gave a blood sample. Dad spit. The entire genome of their fetus was born. Researchers at the University of Washington have, for the first time, done a near-total genome sequence of a fetus in this way. Scientists published the results of this study in the journal Science Translational Medicine, suggesting that thousands of genetic diseases could be detected in children while they are still in the fetal stage. Everyone has two copies of the human genome: One inherited from their biological mother and one from the biological father. With technology that's being used for genetic sequencing these days, it's not possible to say which variants on the chromosome you inherited from which parent. Scientists also sequenced the cell-free component of the mother's blood - called the plasma - where about 10% of the DNA circulating is from the child, and the other 90% is from the mother. That introduces some difficulty, since it's hard to tell exactly what comes from the child. Currently at least some component of diagnosis for genetic disorders in certain circumstances is done using technologies such as amniocentesis, which involves taking a sample of the fluid in the sac that surrounds the fetus in the womb - the mother has to have a needle inserted into her uterus, which is a lot more complicated than a simple blood test and carries some health risks. "This might reduce the need to do invasive testing for fetuses," said Jay Shendure, associate professor of genome sciences at the University of Washington. The focus of the study was the genome of a fetus whose mother's blood sample was taken at 18 weeks. The analysis of her blood, the father's saliva and the plasma contributed to a nearly full picture of the fetus's genome. This model showed that the fetus had 39 mutations that it had not inherited from either parent. To confirm, researchers looked at the baby's umbilical cord blood after it was born. In comparing the constructed DNA (from mom & dad's samples) and this cord sample, researchers found five additional mutations that hadn't come from the mother or the father. On the whole, the baby's artificially constructed genome using material from the parents was more than 98% accurate. Researchers repeated the procedure on a different couple. This time the mother was only eight weeks pregnant when she donated her sample, and the father submitted a blood sample, which was processed in the same way that the other father's saliva was. This resulted in a fetal genome sequence that was 92% accurate. "We could have brought it higher just by sequencing her plasma more deeply," said Jacob Kitzman, lead study author and graduate research fellow at the University of Washington. There are also parts of the genome that technology available today just cannot measure very well, Kitzman says, so that's partly why there's not a 100% accuracy here. Is gender selection of a fetus ethical? Eight weeks are, however, well before mothers are able to get amniocentesis, which is often used at around 16 weeks. It took more than a month to get the results from the sequencing, which is a lot longer than would be ideal in a clinical situation, Kitzman noted. In order to become more widespread, the technique would have to be easier to administer, quicker and less expensive. So how much does this cost? Right now, in the ballpark of $50,000, Shendure says - and while that seems like a lot, keep in mind that this whole process involved sequencing the genomes of the mother and the father, separately analyzing the plasma and then double-checking the result with a sequence from the child's umbilical cord. The price tag for sequencing has dropped by 10,000 fold in the last five years, Shendure says, so he expects this fetal genome technique will also become less expensive over time. In the long-term, the technique may even help garner new insights about genetic diseases, but more immediately it would be restricted to identifying the genetic disorders that we already understand, he said. "Whether this is the sort of thing we would do on a widespread basis for all pregnancies, that’s an open question and a complex one," he said. The complexity comes, of course, from the ethical issues that arise concerning parents who would selectively abort fetuses that are predestined for certain conditions. The technology worries medical ethicist Harriet Washington, who fears parents could use genome sequencing to predict and selectively abort children that don't meet certain standards - not just for diseases, but for things like hair and eye color. “If we don’t look at the dangers, if we adopt this Pollyanna attitude and only look at the benefits, then it’s really easy to end up in a situation where we are blindsided,” Washington said. Perhaps one day, even intelligence scores or skills could be forecasted, creating a situation akin the movie "Gattaca" where babies are basically custom-created to suit the needs of parents who can afford the technology. What do you think about all this? Share your thoughts in the comments. soundoff (1,645 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 Next »Leave a Reply to Lise Hennessey
Next entry »'Life begins at the end of your comfort zone'
« Previous entryCelebrities can be bad for your health
|
  About this blog
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love.
 |
|
|
|
https://click.alamode.com/?adcode=CPEMAQM0913_1&url=http://rvmarketingexperts.com/rv-maintenance-near-me/
You've made some really good points there. I checked on the internet for more information about the issue and found most people will go along with your views on this website.
http://stanko.tw1.ru/redirect.php?url=http://www.ocrvcenter.com/airport-bus-collision-repair-shop-near-me/
A fascinating discussion is definitely worth comment. I believe that you need to write more on this subject, it might not be a taboo matter but typically people don't discuss these issues. To the next! Kind regards!!
http://www.dauntless-soft.com/products/android/beforeyougo.asp?U=https://www.ocrvcenter.com/rv-repair-shop-yucaipa-california/
http://kebrt.webz.cz/download.php?url=www.ocrvcenter.com/rv-renovation-near-me
http://glowing.com/external/link?next_url=www.ocrvcenter.com/school-bus-collision-repair-shop-near-me
http://www.my-retail-store.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=https://www.ocrvcenter.com/special-offers/
Excellent post! We are linking to this great content on our website. Keep up the good writing.
http://www.dmca.com/Protection/Status.aspx?ID=edc817fd-d796-4c84-abb8-d1cb5b2e3719&refurl=https://starshipcrewconnector.com/comment/658
The very next time I read a blog, I hope that it won't fail me just as much as this particular one. I mean, Yes, it was my choice to read, nonetheless I genuinely believed you would probably have something useful to talk about. All I hear is a bunch of complaining about something you could possibly fix if you were not too busy seeking attention.
https://www.wescomfinancial.com/info/redirect.aspx?url=https://www.baidu.com
Can I simply just say what a comfort to uncover someone who genuinely knows what they are discussing on the web. You actually understand how to bring a problem to light and make it important. More people ought to look at this and understand this side of the story. I can't believe you aren't more popular since you definitely have the gift.
https://cssdrive.com/?URL=ocrvcenter.com/rv-remodel-near-me
Howdy! This blog post could not be written any better! Reading through this post reminds me of my previous roommate! He continually kept talking about this. I most certainly will forward this article to him. Fairly certain he's going to have a good read. Many thanks for sharing!
https://www.treasury.gov/cgi-bin/redirect.cgi/?https://www.csn-news.com/archives/101292
https://promo.pertinger.com/?URL=https://www.ocrvcenter.com/kenworth-collision-repair-shop-near-me
Hi there! I just want to give you a big thumbs up for the great information you have got here on this post. I'll be coming back to your blog for more soon.
http://asm.com/Pages/Press-releases/ASMI-ANNOUNCES-AVAILABILITY-AND-TIMING-OF-THE-FIRST-QUARTER-2018-CONFERENCE-CALL-AND-WEBCAST.aspx?overview=https://www.ocrvcenter.com/rv-repair-shop-valley-glen-california
http://funny-games.ws/myspace.php?url=www.ocrvcenter.com/rv-repair-shop-inland-empire-california
Very good post. I'm going through some of these issues as well..
http://webhosting-wmd.hr/index?URL=https://www.ocrvcenter.com/rv-repair-shop-chatsworth-california
I truly love your site.. Very nice colors & theme. Did you develop this amazing site yourself? Please reply back as Iím planning to create my own personal site and want to learn where you got this from or exactly what the theme is named. Thank you!
http://sendfwd.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=ocrvcenter.com/rv-interior-remodel-near-me/
http://wsiefusion.net/Redirect.aspx?destination=www.ocrvcenter.com/rv-repair-shop-san-dimas-california/
http://instystructures.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=https://www.ocrvcenter.com
https://www.conferencebureauthailand.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=www.ocrvcenter.com/
Way cool! Some extremely valid points! I appreciate you penning this write-up plus the rest of the site is also very good.
https://www.layoutsparks.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=www.ocrvcenter.com
An impressive share! I have just forwarded this onto a co-worker who had been conducting a little homework on this. And he actually ordered me dinner due to the fact that I discovered it for him... lol. So let me reword this.... Thank YOU for the meal!! But yeah, thanx for spending time to talk about this issue here on your site.
https://www.mediareference.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=www.ocrvcenter.com/
https://mmlnj.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=ocrvcenter.com/
http://orangeoxy.biz/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=www.ocrvcenter.com
http://surfadventure.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=http://ocrvcenter.com
This web site truly has all of the information I wanted about this subject and didnít know who to ask.
https://www.studyabroadengland.org/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=www.ocrvcenter.com/
sildenafil 20 mg tablet coupon https://www.pharmaceptica.com/
http://www.zippyapp.com/redir?u=https://www.ocrvcenter.com/motorhome-camera-repair-near-me
Greetings! Very useful advice within this article! It is the little changes which will make the largest changes. Thanks a lot for sharing!
https://yellowpages.staradvertiser.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=www.ocrvcenter.com/rv-repair-shop-orange-county-california/
Pretty! This was a really wonderful article. Many thanks for supplying these details.
http://historyshot.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=www.ocrvcenter.com/
http://deanspotter.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=https://www.ocrvcenter.com/rv-repair-shop-lawndale-california
https://www.advertisementave.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=www.ocrvcenter.com
http://ww17.instagurum.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=https://ocrvcenter.com/pop-up-trailer-collision-repair-shop-near-me/
http://www.basepath.com/ClassicCameras/article.php?url=https://ocrvcenter.com/boom-truck-repair-near-me/
That is a really good tip especially to those new to the blogosphere. Brief but very precise infoÖ Appreciate your sharing this one. A must read article!
http://www.devot-ee.com/?URL=http://www.ocrvcenter.com/junk-truck-collision-repair-shop-near-me
Link Xem Thẳng đá Bóng Futsal Việt Nam Vs Lebanon Vòng Loại World Cuptruyen hinh vinh long 1Xem bóng đá trực tuyến Trực tiếp Odd BK vs Sarpsborg, 20h ngày 24/5, giải VĐQG Na Uy. Xem lịch phát sóng trực tiếp bóng đá EURO thời điểm hôm nay được Webthethao update chính xác nhất.
https://chiefscreolecafe.com/detail/htv2-online-rap-viet-105921.html
After looking over a few of the blog articles on your web site, I really like your technique of blogging. I book marked it to my bookmark website list and will be checking back in the near future. Please visit my website as well and tell me how you feel.
https://hacknaked.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=https://ocrvcenter.com/
Howdy! This blog post could not be written much better! Going through this article reminds me of my previous roommate! He always kept talking about this. I'll forward this post to him. Pretty sure he's going to have a great read. Thanks for sharing!
http://community.rsa.com/t5/custom/page/page-id/ExternalRedirect?url=https://www.ocrvcenter.com/toy-hauler-repair-near-me
An intriguing discussion is worth comment. I believe that you ought to write more about this issue, it may not be a taboo subject but typically people don't discuss such topics. To the next! All the best!!
http://jimwrightonline.com/php/tcpdf_php4/serverData.php?a%5B%5D=<a+href=https://www.ocrvcenter.com/motorhome-couch-repair-near-me
http://luminous-lint.com/app/iframe/photographer/Frantisek__Drtikol/ocrvcenter.com/motorhome-installation-near-me/
http://www.getfreegoods.org/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=http://ocrvcenter.com
http://islulu.com/link.php?url=bestshopnearme.com/
http://gvomail.com/redir.php?k=1560a19819b8f93348a7bc7fc28d0168&url=http://masternearme.com/
This is a great tip especially to those new to the blogosphere. Short but very precise infoÖ Thanks for sharing this one. A must read article!
http://cheezedoff.net/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=www.reviewnearme.com
http://deiracing.biz/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=bestshopnearme.com
Right here is the right blog for anybody who hopes to understand this topic. You understand a whole lot its almost tough to argue with you (not that I personally will need toÖHaHa). You certainly put a new spin on a subject that has been discussed for decades. Great stuff, just excellent!
http://webservices.icodes.co.uk/transfer2.php?location=https://www.bestservicenearme.com/
http://www.bankruptcy-notices.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=www.wholesalenearme.com
http://fishtankdvd.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=wholesalenearme.com/
Great blog you've got here.. Itís hard to find good quality writing like yours these days. I truly appreciate individuals like you! Take care!!
https://linkbuddy.pro/wholesalenearme.comlogin/
Everything is very open with a very clear explanation of the challenges. It was definitely informative. Your site is extremely helpful. Thank you for sharing!
http://iteminfo.net/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=bjsnearme.com/
Way cool! Some very valid points! I appreciate you writing this article and also the rest of the site is also very good.
http://www.ehso.com/ehsord.php?URL=http://wholesalenearme.com
http://bahamablue.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=reviewnearme.com/