Prenatal Gene Therapy

The emerging field of prenatal gene therapy is founded on scientific and technical advances in fetal medicine, molecular biology and gene therapy. This preclinical research subject aims at applying gene therapy during pregnancy for the prevention of human diseases caused by early onset congenital or gestation related conditions. In Prenatal Gene Therapy: Concepts, Methods and Protocols, expert researchers in the field detail many of the protocols which are now commonly used to study gene therapy, fetal medicine and medical ethics. These include detailed protocols for vector production, for breeding and husbandry of the animal models, for the surgical procedures of gene delivery in large and small animals and for the methods of gene transfer analysis. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Thorough and intuitive, Prenatal Gene Therapy: Concepts, Methods and Protocols seeks to aid scientists in the further study of prenatal disease and gene therapy projects beyond the scope of fetal medicine.