Non-Invasive prenatal diagnostics – isolation of circulating trophoblast cells using a malaria protein
Placental biopsies are associated with high risk of miscarriage. Current non-invasive tests are not very precise. The malaria protein VAR2CSA has been evoluationary refined to bind specifically to human placent cells. This causes the syndrom placental malaria in pregnant women. Recombinant VAR2CSA binds with high specificity to syncytiotrophoblasts in the placenta as well as placental cell lines. Using this knowledge we have developed a powerful tool which captures circulating trophoblast from a blood sample from pregnant women. This tool enables non-invasive fetal diagnostic, early in pregnancy. The aim of the ERC PoC project is to A) prepare a strategic product and business plan and B) further develop and validate the methodology enabling facile and early non-invasive fetal diagnostic.