Horizon Discovery teams with UK hospital, EMQN to develop NIPT reference material
The gene editing and gene modulation technology company Horizon Discovery recently announced a collaboration with St. George’s University Hospital, London, and the European Molecular Genetics Quality Network (EMQN) to develop reference material for non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT).
According to the company, “well-characterized reference material that consists of matched maternal and fetal DNA with a variety of chromosomal aneuploidies is required to monitor NIPT test performance, but is not currently available.”
Horizon is not providing any additional comment at this time.
Professor Asma Khalil from St. George's University Hospital said in a press release: “There is increasingly widespread adoption of NIPT, both in the UK and internationally. Incorrect results can have detrimental effects on patient management, hence we as clinicians want to be confident that test results are accurate.”
St. George's University Hospital and St Thomas’ Hospital, London will provide clinical samples for the project, which is supported by funding from Innovate UK. Using its global network of laboratories performing NIPT, the EMQN will run the comprehensive validation study.
Horizon will support the project with its capabilities to develop genetically defined, cell-line derived reference material to support quality assurance programs.
The company earlier this year expanded its CRISPR screening services to meet the requirements of immunology-based research in drug discovery.
The service extension includes ex vivo T lymphocytes and enables the identification of new gene targets in biologically and potential therapeutically relevant settings.
