Noninvasive prenatal diagnosis targeting fetal nucleated red blood cells (vol 20, 546, 2022)

Summary: Noninvasive prenatal diagnosis (NIPD) is a method of detecting genetic disorders related to the fetus before birth by analyzing markers in the peripheral blood of pregnant women. Fetal-nucleated red blood cells (fNRBCs) can be used as biomarkers for NIPD due to their unique ability to carry the complete genetic information of the fetus. Recent advances in NIPD technologies are focused on isolating and analyzing fNRBCs, using both conventional and novel methods such as micro-/nanomaterials and microfluidic chips. The identification and clinical diagnostic potential of fNRBCs are also discussed, along with the challenges and future directions of using fNRBCs in NIPD treatment guidelines.