Agilent Technologies Microarrays Used in Groundbreaking Prenatal Research Study

The three-year collaborative study, "Chromosomal microarray versus karyotyping for prenatal diagnosis," represents a significant milestone in understanding prenatal abnormalities. Agilent SurePrint CGH microarrays were used for the majority of the 4,400 cohort samples. Use of this technology enabled researchers to detect smaller aberrations compared to traditional karyotyping.

Researchers from Emory University, Baylor College of Medicine, Columbia University and Signature Genomics collaborated in this study. Their primary objective was to evaluate the accuracy, efficacy and potential advantages of using microarray analysis compared with conventional karyotyping. Their secondary objective was to evaluate analytical performance. The study was sponsored by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Agilent was the primary contributor of microarrays and reagents used in this study; 71 percent of samples were run on Agilent SurePrint CGH microarrays. Agilent assisted investigators in developing customized arrays for the study.

"We are honored to have participated in this landmark study, furthering technology adoption for improved discovery," said Robert Schueren, vice president and general manager of Agilent's Genomics Solutions Division.

A total of 5,500 arrays were used. The majority of the samples were composed of uncultured amniotic fluid and chorionic villi. All samples were also sent to a reference lab for chromosome analysis. All data was submitted to the National Center for Biotechnology Information and is available to the public free of charge.

Agilent's custom microarrays are manufactured to customer-specified designs. They are not approved or cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in diagnostic procedures. Customers are responsible for FDA approval/clearance prior to diagnostic use.