An animal model for hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn: alloimmunization techniques

Article Abstract:

Creating hemolytic disease of the fetus in a rabbit model involves the development of red blood cell alloantibodies, foreign antibodies which form immune responses. Hemolytic disease is the breakdown of red blood cells normally caused by maternal and fetal immunologic incompatibility. Hemolysis can also occur in antigen-antibody reactions and following mechanical trauma. In an effort to find new immunologic therapies to treat incompatible maternal red blood cells, a rabbit model was introduced. Researchers repeatedly injected 26 female rabbits with alloantigens that were absent in their system. All animals had a variety of antibody responses, except for one rabbit. The majority of antibody responses were moderate to high. Since hemolytic disease occurs naturally in primates only, artificially produced hemolysis in the rabbit may prove less costly while gaining access to multiple offspring within a month for research. Future study of the effects of rabbit hemolytic disease on fetal development is planned.

Models, Analysis, Innovations, Animal models in research, Animal research models, Immunologic adjuvants, Antibodies, Immunological adjuvants

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Long-term neurodevelopmental outcome after intrauterine transfusion for the treatment of fetal hemolytic disease

Article Abstract:

Children with previous fetal hemolytic disease may survive without cognitive deficits after receiving blood transfusions in the womb. Intrauterine transfusions can pose serious complications for the anemic fetus, such as emergency delivery and death. Neurodevelopmental testing and follow-up to 5 years of age indicated normal cognitive functioning in eleven of the forty surviving children with fetal hemolytic disease and subsequent intrauterine transfusions. The remaining group was unavailable for evaluation.

Care and treatment, Testing, Complications and side effects, Child development, Blood transfusion, Intrauterine, Intrauterine blood transfusion

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Ultrasonographically guided direct gene transfer in utero: successful induction of beta-galactosidase in a rabbit model

Article Abstract:

It appears to be possible to transfer a gene into a fetal organ such as the liver using adenoviruses. Researchers used fetal rabbits to test this idea, and the gene produced an enzyme that could be detected in the fetal liver.

Evaluation, Gene therapy, Prenatal care

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