Fetal mini-organs for prenatal risk screening for congenital diseases
2024
University College London, London, United Kingdom
#amniotic fluid, #congenital diseases, #early detection, #fetal development, #fetal intestine, #fetal kidney, #fetal lungs, #fetal stem cells, #gene expression, #intestinal organoids, #kidney organoids, #lung organoids, #pregnancy, #prenatal screening, #protein markers, #risk assessment, #sequence analysis
In the present study, a new method for developing organ models of fetal origin for monitoring the health of the unborn child in late pregnancy (from 22 weeks of gestation) is presented. To do this, the researchers examined amniotic fluid samples from 12 pregnant women that were taken during routine examinations. Using single-cell RNA sequencing techniques, it was possible to identify fetal stem cells from the lungs, intestines and kidneys, from which three-dimensional organoids were then derived. Further investigations showed that the cultured mini-organs recapitulated the functionality, as well as the gene and protein expression of the original tissue, thereby enabling relevant conclusions to be drawn about fetal development. To evaluate the potential of the organoids to simulate the diagnosis and treatment of congenital diseases, the researchers also compared lung organoids derived from amniotic and tracheal fluid from healthy infants with organoids from children affected by CDH-related (congenital diaphragmatic hernia) lung hypoplasia. The comparative analysis showed significant differences in gene and protein expression between organoids of healthy origin and the CDH cases. CDH organoids that had already been treated therapeutically showed greater similarity in their expression patterns to the healthy cases. The results point to the high potential of generating patient-specific fetal tissue for prenatal monitoring of the unborn child and screening for congenital diseases and other early childhood developmental disorders. The fetal mini-organs can help to analyse in more depth previously unknown mechanisms and patterns of congenital diseases that are not accessible with previous methods. In addition, the method proves to be a low-risk diagnostic tool that enables early detection and treatment of fetal pathologies and can thereby help prevent long-term and serious damage to affected children.
Single-cell guided prenatal derivation of primary fetal epithelial organoids from human amniotic and tracheal fluids
Mattia Francesco Maria Gerli, Paolo De Coppi
Added on: 03-14-2024
[1] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-02807-z[2] https://www.bionity.com/en/news/1182899/groundbreaking-study-mini-organs-created-from-amniotic-fluid-for-the-first-time.html
