Scientific American (SA) is reporting on research conducted by scientists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington which found the presence of male "Y" chromosome cells in the brains of deceased women. The persistent presence of genetically distinct male cells in women after pregnancy is known as microchimerism and was discovered years ago when it was determined that cells migrated from babies to mothers during gestation.
"Microchimerism most commonly results from the exchange of cells across the placenta during pregnancy, however there is also evidence that cells may be transferred from mother to infant through nursing," the report states.
"In addition to exchange between mother and fetus, there may be exchange of cells between twins in utero, and there is also the possibility that cells from an older sibling residing in the mother may find their way back across the placenta to a younger sibling during the latter’s gestation. Women may have microchimeric cells both from their mother as well as from their own pregnancies, and there is even evidence for competition between cells from grandmother and infant within the mother."
This fascinating science became even more intriguing with this latest study which found microchimeric cells embedded in the brains of mothers. These cells were found to have been present, in some cases, for several decades, raising the question of what impact they may have on the mother and/or future siblings.
"We all consider our bodies to be our own unique being, so the notion that we may harbor cells from other people in our bodies seems strange," SA writes. "Even stranger is the thought that, although we certainly consider our actions and decisions as originating in the activity of our own individual brains, cells from other individuals are living and functioning in that complex structure."
Scientists are still unsure about what fetal microchimeric cells do inside a mother's body, but past research in this area opens up several interesting possibilities.
For example, fetal microchimeric cells are similar to stem cells that are able to become a variety of different tissues and may aid in tissue repair.
"One research group investigating this possibility followed the activity of fetal microchimeric cells in a mother rat after the maternal heart was injured: they discovered that the fetal cells migrated to the maternal heart and differentiated into heart cells helping to repair the damage," SA reports.
Microchimeric cells may also influence the immune system in a way that researchers believe may "prime" the immune system to be on the alert for cells that are similar to the mother's but have some genetic differences - such as cancer cells. Studies suggest microchimeric cells may stimulate the immune system to stem the growth of tumors.
The implications of this research are indeed thought provoking, especially when we apply this to mothers who have aborted a pregnancy. As pro-life champion Jill Stanek points out, this research shows that mothers who terminate their pregnancies don’t completely rid themselves of their babies.
"The cells of murdered children live on inside their mothers to help – or perhaps – hurt them," she writes.
"A post-abortive mother who gives any of this much thought will reach either distressing or comforting conclusions, depending on whether she has made peace."
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