 FCMB stands for Fetal Cells in Maternal Blood. A company involved in isolating Fetal Cells from Maternal Blood couldn't have a more straightforward name than FCMB. We at FCMB are constantly reminded of our goal: To enrich fetal cells from maternal circulation. The real challenge of this task becomes clear when we look at the numbers. There are 2-3 fetal cells among 6 million maternal white blood cells in 1ml of whole blood. Thus isolating these rare cells is literally like finding a needle in the haystack.
The founders of FCMB ApS proudly accepted this challenge years ago. After sticking their heads into this puzzle for years, their persistence has finally paid off. Now, a couple of years since FCMB ApS was formally launched, we have 15 people in Research and Development, and we are in a position to repeatedly and consistently isolate fetal cells from pregnant women's blood.
The task of isolation starts with blood sampling, where 24ml of whole blood are collected from a pregnant woman. The initial processing of the blood involves removal of red blood cells. The remaining cells are then incubated with markers specific for fetal cells, which facilitates the isolation of fetal cells from maternal blood. Once fetal cells are enriched, the identification of fetal cells is performed by staining with other fetal cell specific markers.
Since a cell holds all the genetic information of the developing fetus, it can be used to perform prenatal diagnosis. Such a prenatal diagnosis based on blood sampling is a major breakthrough in Science because the invasive alternatives such has CVS and amniocentesis have a certain level of risk associated with them.
For decades scientists have dreamt of isolating rare fetal cells from maternal blood. FCMB ApS has converted that dream into reality.
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 FCMB står for FosterCeller i Moderens Blod. Dette er et indlysende navn til et firma, der isolerer fosterceller fra moderens blod. Vi i FCMB bliver derved hele tiden mindet om vores mål: At berige fosterceller fra moderens blodomløb. Den virkelige udfordring i denne opgave bliver klar, når vi ser på tallene. Der er 2-3 fosterceller blandt moderens 6 millioner hvide blodlegemer i 1 ml fuldblod. Så at isolere disse sjældne celler er bogstaveligt talt som at finde en nål i en høstak.
Grundlæggerne af FCMB ApS tog som nogle af de første denne udfordring op. Efter at have prøvet at løse denne opgave i årevis, har deres ihærdighed endelig givet pote. Nu, et par år efter at FCMB ApS blev grundlagt, er vi 15 personer i forsknings- og udviklingsafdelingen som er stand til konsekvent at isolere fosterceller fra gravide kvinders blod.
Processen starter med at der tages 24 ml blod fra en gravid kvinde. Den indledende behandling af blodet indebærer fjernelse af de røde blodlegemer. De hvide blodlegemer blandes derefter med specifikke biomarkører for fosterceller. Herefter er det muligt at berige fostercellerne ud fra moderens hvide blodlegemer. Når fostercellerne er beriget, identificeres de ved farvning med andre specifikke fostercelle biomarkører.
Da en celle besidder hele den genetiske information i det udviklende foster, kan den bruges til fosterdiagnostik. Sådan en fosterdiagnose baseret på fosterceller isoleret fra moderens blod er et stort gennembrud inden for videnskaben, fordi de eksisterende metoder som moderkagerbiopsi og fostervandsprøve indebærer en vis risiko for ufrivillig abort.
I årtier har forskere har drømt om at isolere sjældne fosterceller fra moderens blod. FCMB ApS har gjort denne drøm til virkelighed.
IN ENGLISH |
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"Fetal cells circulate in maternal blood and have a great diagnostic potential". This is a fact known to scientists for many decades. However, the difficulty in isolating fetal cells, due to their rarity and to the absence of fetal cell specific markers, has kept their diagnostic potential at bay. The goal of FCMB is to develop a method to isolate rare fetal cells from maternal blood, which can be used for subsequent genetic analyses.
Current invasive procedures, such as Chorionic Villi Sampling (CVS) and Amniocentesis, carry a certain risk of abortion. The scientists at FCMB aim to develop an alternative no-risk method which will provide pregnant women with accurate genetic information of their unborn child.
Fetal diagnostics based on a blood sample from the mother bear no risk, neither for the mother nor for the child. It provides pregnant women with information very much similar to what is obtained by CVS or amniocentesis, but without the risk of inducing an unintended abortion.
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