journal article·2025-12Open access

Identifying Key Questions and Challenges in Microchimerism Biology

Kristine J. Chua, Rachel C. Quilang, Katja Sallinger, Christina Athena Aktipis, Petra Arck, Diana W. Bianchi, Hyun‐Dong Chang, Henderson J. Cleaves, Michael Eikmans, Heidi E. S. Fjeldstad, David Haig, Whitney E. Harrington, William Horsnell, Daniel P. Jacobsen, Mads Kamper‐Jørgensen, Sami B. Kanaan, Kiarash Khosrotehrani, Nathalie C. Lambert, J. Lee Nelson, Maria B. Olsen, Tiffany D. Pan, Jelmer R. Prins, Frank A. Schildberg, Anne Cathrine Staff, Anders Ståhlberg, Ina A. Stelzer, Christopher Urbschat, Sing Sing Way, Melissa A. Wilson, Jody Ye, Thomas Kroneis, Amy M. Boddy

Advanced Science· Volume 12· Issue 48

Abstract

Abstract Microchimerism research has recently gained renewed attention despite known existence of these rare cells for decades. Fetal and maternal microchimeric‐derived cells may have functional capabilities, and are increasingly associated with both beneficial and adverse health outcomes. Yet, establishing the role of microchimerism in health has been largely constrained methodologically and theoretically. The Microchimerism, Human Health, and Evolution Project address these challenges by calling on 29 leading microchimerism experts to put forth key research questions that can substantially advance the field. Seven major categories are identified: function and mechanism; microchimerism in interventions, treatment, and transplant; mapping “generational microchimerism”; evolution; microchimerism detection; appropriate experimental model systems; and definition of microchimerism. Identifying these questions ‐ and continuing to find answers ‐ will be crucial for advancing the knowledge of microchimerism in health and disease.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Prenatal Screening and Diagnostics · Genomic variations and chromosomal abnormalities · Genetic Syndromes and Imprinting

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Department of Anthropology University of Notre Dame Notre Dame 46556 USA

Department of Immunology Leiden University Medical Center Leiden 2333 ZA Netherlands

Department of Cell Biology Histology & Embryology Gottfried Schatz Research Center Medical University of Graz Graz 8010 Austria

Center for Evolution and Medicine Arizona State University Tempe 85287 USA

Department of Psychology Arizona State University Tempe 85287 USA

Division of Feto‐Maternal Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine University Medical Center Hamburg‐Eppendorf 20246 Hamburg Germany

Hamburg Center for Translational Immunology University Medical Center Hamburg‐Eppendorf 20246 Hamburg Germany

National Human Genome Research Institute National Institutes of Health Bethesda 20892 USA

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development National Institutes of Health Bethesda 20892 USA

German Rheumatology Research Center A Leibniz Institute (DRFZ) 10117 Berlin Germany

Technische Universität Berlin Department for Cytometry Institute of Biotechnology 13355 Berlin Germany

Department of Chemistry Howard University Washington D.C. 20059 USA

Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Oslo University Hospital Oslo 0424 Norway

Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Harvard University Cambridge 02138 USA

Department of Pediatrics University of Washington School of Medicine Seattle 98195 USA

Center for Global Infectious Disease Research Seattle Children's Research Institute Seattle 98105 USA

MRC Centre for Medical Mycology University of Exeter Exeter EX4 4QJ UK

Institute for Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Africa and Division of Immunology University of Cape Town Cape Town 7701 South Africa

Faculty of Medicine University of Oslo Oslo 0316 Norway

Department of Public Health University of Copenhagen Copenhagen DK‐1165 Denmark

Translational Science and Therapeutics Division Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center Seattle 98109 USA

Frazer institute The University of Queensland Woolloongabba 4072 Australia

Translational Research institute The University of Queensland Woolloongabba 4072 Australia

INSERM UMRs 1097 ARTHEMIS Aix Marseille University Marseille 13284 France

Medicine, Rheumatology University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center Seattle 98109 USA

Funding

John Templeton Foundation

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