NESIMI, Anida and MUHAREMI, Vlera and MATOSHI, Lisa and GAFURI, Safije and Ismani, Ekrem (2026) YOU ARE NOT ENTIRELY YOU: MICROCHIMERISM AND THE HIDDEN PERSISTENCE OF FOREIGN CELLS- A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META ANALYSIS. In: INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE “FROM RESEARCH TO APPLICATION”, 20 May, 2026.
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Abstract
The human body was traditionally considered a self-contained system defined by a single genetic identity; however, this concept of biological unity has been challenged by the phenomenon of microchimerism. Microchimerism was defined as the long-term presence of a small population of genetically distinct cells within a host, most commonly originating from pregnancy, blood transfusion, or organ transplantation. The aim of this review was to synthesize current experimental and clinical evidence in order to evaluate whether microchimeric cells acted as functional contributors to host physiology, remained biologically neutral, or participated in pathological processes such as autoimmunity and cancer. The reviewed studies indicated that microchimeric cells were widely distributed across multiple human tissues and were capable of expressing tissue-specific markers, suggesting potential functional integration within the host. Evidence further showed that microchimerism exhibited a dual role, being associated with protective effects in certain cancers such as breast cancer and papillary thyroid cancer, while also being observed at increased levels in conditions such as colon cancer and autoimmune diseases. In addition, some findings suggested possible involvement in tissue repair, although the underlying mechanisms remained unclear. Published experimental and clinical studies were reviewed, including evidence obtained through cytogenetic and molecular techniques such as FISH, STR analysis, qPCR, ddPCR, and next- generation sequencing (NGS). Overall, the findings suggested that microchimerism challenged the traditional concept of biological individuality by demonstrating that the human body functioned as a dynamic system in which the boundary between self and non-self was not absolute.
| Item Type: | Conference or Workshop Item (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | R Medicine > R Medicine (General) |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences > School of Medicine |
| Depositing User: | Unnamed user with email zshi@unite.edu.mk |
| Date Deposited: | 21 Sep 2026 13:06 |
| Last Modified: | 21 Sep 2026 13:06 |
| URI: | http://eprints.unite.edu.mk/id/eprint/2426 |
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