Genetic marker for Reproductive Conditions
As the first maternal gene linked to reproductive wastage, NALP7 constitutes a prime target for genetic testing. In 2000, the market of molecular diagnostic has generated more than one billions US$ of revenues. HMs occur in 1 in every 1500 pregnancies in western countries and up to 1 in every 250 pregnancies in Latin America, the Far East, and some Middle Eastern countries. This test will also be available for a second patient population made up of women suffering from recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA). For every 3,000,000 US births annually, at least 600,000 embryos or fetuses are spontaneously aborted. Although there exist a multitude of genetic and cytological assays related to reproduction and fertility, these tests focus on prenatal diagnostic for the detection of a disease or condition in a foetus or embryo. NALP7, as the first identified maternal gene causing reproductive wastage, therefore constitutes a very attractive target for diagnostic test development.
We have identified a gene, NALP7, which is mutated in patients with a recurrent form reproductive wasatge conditions. Reproductive wastage is defined as the broad spectrum of abnormal pregnancies such as blighted ovum, ectopic pregnancies, spontaneous abortions (SAs), stillbirth, and any condition leading to the loss of the conception in utero or in the first week of birth.
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