The Special Non-Invasive Advances in Fetal and Neonatal Evaluation Network (SAFE) is a Network of Excellence established under the European Commission Sixth Framework Programme which aims to implement routine, cost-effective non-invasive prenatal diagnosis and neonatal screening through the creation of long-term partnerships.

The SAFE network will develop a series of measures to enable the rapid introduction of Non-Invasive Prenatal Diagnosis (NIPD) and Neonatal Screening (NS) throughout the EU and beyond. At present NIPD, based on a pioneering observation that circulatory cell free fetal DNA is present in maternal plasma and serum, has already begun to impact clinical practice. SAFE started on 1 March 2004, will run for 5 years and has 53 partners from 19 countries currently participating.

One of the reasons for the setting up the network is that relevant knowledge is dispersed across many disciplines, including molecular biology, medical genetics, bioinformatics, psychology, health economics, and ethical studies. SAFE brings together leading experts from the key disciplines in a programme designed to achieve intellectual and practical integration with a view to enhance the efficacy of NIPD and NS for genetic disorders within and beyond the European Community.

www.safenoe.org

L. Osipenko
Socio-economic assessment of RhD NIPD

A. Kolialexi
Proteomic analysis of amniotic fluid samples in pregnancies with Down syndrome

A. Bustamante-Aragonés
Detection of a fetal mutation in maternal plasma at the 12th week of gestation by the use of the dHPLC technique