“Shocking Diagnosis Forces Wealthy Father of Three to Confront Hidden Family Secrets”
Before Chris’s study, forensic scientists knew that specific medical procedures cause chimerism. But they never researched where the donor’s DNA replaced the patient’s in the body. The fact that 99% of Chris’s DNA had changed raised questions among the medical community.
This Has Been Studied Before
Chimerism from bone marrow transplants has been researched before. In 2004, research in Bone Marrow Transplantation reported that marrow transplants replace at least some of the patient’s blood DNA. Even blood transplants temporarily replace DNA in the patient’s blood.
However, these studies have only analyzed DNA changes in blood. Before the study on Chris, scientists have not tested how a patient’s DNA changes in the rest of their body. In this sense, his case defied all expectations.
Will Chris Remain The Same Person?
The implications of Chris’s case reached scientists far beyond Nevada. One nagging question was: would Chris remain the same person with someone else’s DNA? Dr. Andrew Rezvani, the blood and marrow transplant professional at Stanford University, says yes.
“Their brain and their personality should remain the same,” he told the Independent.
For The Doctors, This Isn’t An Issue
Although medical doctors understand the DNA change, they don’t see it as an issue. As long as the transplant is successful, the change does not create any medical problems. The patient’s medical history and mind do not change. So what’s the issue?
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