Fetal Microchimerism, named after the Greek mythology monster, chimera, was first found in 1990 to be a condition where fetal cells can escape from the uterus and freely disperse through the mother's body. The problem is, is many times Fetal Microchimerism has affected the health of the mother, including death during, or after, pregnancy. In a recent study at Leiden University Medical Center, a team of pathologists collected tissue samples from 26 different women, who had previously passed away during, or after, pregnancy. All of them had been carrying sons, making it easier for the pathologists when collecting samples because they could just look for the Y chromosomes in cells. The experiment was successful, in that the pathologists found Y chromosomes in every single tissue sample they had examined. The chromosomes were even present in every organ sample as well, including the heart, lungs and even the brain.
When fetal cells inhibit such organs, the condition can then become fatal, essentially controlling the mother's biological controls, such as her body temperature. Meanwhile, some cells can have the complete opposite affect, aiding the mother's health. It is the fatal cells which we are still puzzled about. After women give birth, their immune system kicks in, usually riding of most of these fetal cells. However, if a woman has an autoimmune disease, she could possible relapse, or even die, after or during giving birth. Also, tumors in women who have given birth before, contain masses of fetal cells, making us believe that these cells might help drive cancer.
I think this is really interesting, especially seeing that this condition, whether fatal or not, is not all that uncommon. It actually gives some truth to the myth of "pregnancy brain," and I hope that in the near future, we can find a way to make these cells more passive.
I really think your blog post is very interesting! I also read an article about fetal microchimerism and found that some of these cells actually help the mother, "Some cells may help maintain the health of the mother — for example, by healing wounds." (Zimmer, 2015). This is also a phenomenon that has been happening since human kind has existed. “Microchimerism is something that humans have been evolving with since before we were humans,” said Melissa Wilson Sayres, a biologist at Arizona State. I do also think there should be a lot more research done so we better understand it!
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