Microchimerism, Lupus, and Diabetes

Host: Michael Benson, MD Guest: J. Lee Nelson, MD While the transfer and persistence of fetal cells into the maternal circulation is counter-intuitive, an even stranger occurrence is the reverse. Dr. Nelson discusses the evidence that maternal cells are transferring into the fetus. In the case of neonatal lupus it appears that maternal stem cells differentiate into cardiac tissue and might incite a deleterious fetal immune response. In the case of juvenile diabetes, maternal stem cells may differentiate into islet cells that can produce insulin. It appears that this might mitigate the course of the disease.