Baby Cells Can Regenerate Their Mother’s Tissue

A few years ago it was discovered the possibility that baby cells could pass from mother to child and vice versa, but it was not yet known that they could cause tissue regeneration. This process is known as fetal microchimerism, which, nowadays, has revealed itself in a new finding, as a cellular exchange takes place between mother and child, capable of bringing numerous benefits to both.

This time, let’s talk about the ability of certain baby cells to regenerate tissue from their mothers, this is a property that was recently discovered, when their cellular pluripotentiality became evident. In this process, some maternal organs can be regenerated through the baby’s cells, but it is also considered a risk in some cases.

According to studies, there are many benefits that the cells of their babies can bring to their mothers, including, it is associated with the prevention of Alzheimer’s, cancer and other disorders. So far, cell regeneration through this pathway has also been associated with liver, heart and kidney tissues, in addition, their pluripotent status allows them more options that are yet to be unveiled.

What are pluripotent cells?

The main quality of pluripotent cells is that they can transform into any cell needed by the body, as it has not yet been defined what type of cell they will be. The value of these cells is very high, as they have the ability to regenerate the tissues of the organs that most demand it, which allows a transformation in the mother’s body.

It was found that some women improved their diagnosis of heart disease, something that could be proven because cells with Y chromosomes were found in their hearts. In this sense, the presence of this male chromosome is related to these mothers who experienced the pregnancy of a boy.

This process is scientifically linked to human survival, as it somehow ensures the mother’s maintenance and recovery so that she can guarantee the child’s life. These cells were identified in organs such as the kidneys and liver, fully identified by having come from a male “donor” or by not finding a specific function of them.

– Photo of the pregnancy test carried out at Parque Barigui, in Curitiba –

Can regenerate brain tissue

In studies carried out on the brains of different women, the presence of the Y chromosome was found in at least 60% of the women studied. The procedure consisted of the autopsy of more than 50 women, where those who suffered from Alzheimer’s had a smaller amount of cells with a Y chromosome; which led the research to try to relate the amount of these cells with the appearance of this disorder.

However, questions arose that intended to establish the repairing effect of the baby’s cells on their mothers, especially to repair brain tissue. In the case of the samples that presented cells with the  Y chromosome, they were simple to identify, but this was not the case if these women had not had a male child; in these women the brain could have cells from their daughters, which, because they have an X chromosome, would not be easy to differentiate.

In this sense, new researches were carried out, this time in animals ; the results were amazing. In 2015, scientists were able to determine that young female rats were more likely to regenerate their tissues by up to 82%, however, when it came to female rats, including those that were old, they increased their regenerative capacity  by 96%.

In other words, pregnancy in animals caused cell regeneration to be greater. Likewise, from the heart of this research, a new line of investigation emerged: fetal microchimerism can positively affect the mother’s immune system. In relation to this, there are researchers moving away from this use, because, unfortunately, the possibility that these cells become cancerous tumors has been revealed.

Thus, it is understood that the mother’s organism could react against the baby’s cells, because they are still very similar to her own cells, they are 50% different, because this other half belongs to the child’s father. This situation could trigger the action of the immune system through microchimeric cells to deter cancer or enhance the process.