The Amniotic Fluid Transcriptome

Abstract

Amniotic fluid cell-free fetal RNA can provide biological information on multiple fetal organ systems. The presence of fetal-brain specific transcripts in amniotic fluid suggests novel approaches to the study of developmental disorders that involve the central nervous system. The finding that the mammalian target of rapamycin signaling is enriched in midtrimester fetuses may have future applications in the study of fetal growth disorders.