Forever Connected: The Lifelong Biological Consequences of Fetomaternal and Maternofetal Microchimerism
Abstract Background Originally studied as a mechanism to understand eclampsia-related deaths during pregnancy, fetal cells in maternal blood have more recently garnered attention as a noninvasive source of fetal material for prenatal testing. In the 21st century, however, intact fetal cells have bee...
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Published in | Clinical chemistry (Baltimore, Md.) Vol. 67; no. 2; pp. 351 - 362 |
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Main Authors | , , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
England
Oxford University Press
01.02.2021
American Association for Clinical Chemistry, Inc |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Abstract
Background
Originally studied as a mechanism to understand eclampsia-related deaths during pregnancy, fetal cells in maternal blood have more recently garnered attention as a noninvasive source of fetal material for prenatal testing. In the 21st century, however, intact fetal cells have been largely supplanted by circulating cell-free placental DNA for aneuploidy screening. Instead, interest has pivoted to the ways in which fetal cells influence maternal biology. In parallel, an increasing appreciation of the consequences of maternal cells in the developing fetus has occurred.
Content
In this review, we highlight the potential clinical applications and functional consequences of the bidirectional trafficking of intact cells between a pregnant woman and her fetus. Fetal cells play a potential role in the pathogenesis of maternal disease and tissue repair. Maternal cells play an essential role in educating the fetal immune system and as a factor in transplant acceptance. Naturally occurring maternal microchimerism is also being explored as a source of hematopoietic stem cells for transplant in fetal hematopoietic disorders.
Summary
Future investigations in humans need to include complete pregnancy histories to understand maternal health and transplant success or failure. Animal models are useful to understand the mechanisms underlying fetal wound healing and/or repair associated with maternal injury and inflammation. The lifelong consequences of the exchange of cells between a mother and her child are profound and have many applications in development, health, and disease. This intricate exchange of genetically foreign cells creates a permanent connection that contributes to the survival of both individuals. |
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Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-2 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-3 content type line 23 ObjectType-Review-1 Author Contributions: All authors confirmed they have contributed to the intellectual content of this paper and have met the following 4 requirements: (a) significant contributions to the conception and design, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data; (b) drafting or revising the article for intellectual content; (c) final approval of the published article; and (d) agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the article thus ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the article are appropriately investigated and resolved. K. Khosrotehrani, administrative support, provision of study material or patients; I. Bajema, provision of study material or patients; K. O’Donoghue, administrative support, provision of study material or patients. |
ISSN: | 0009-9147 1530-8561 |
DOI: | 10.1093/clinchem/hvaa304 |