According to Chilton, chimeras create another issue for the medical community. In 2008, research scholar Yongbin Eom tried to identify a victim of a car accident in Seoul, South Korea. His DNA showed that he was female–but his body was male.
It turned out that the victim received a bone marrow donation from his daughter. Chimeras have two sets of DNA: their original DNA and their donor’s DNA. This may prevent medical investigators from properly identifying a body.
How Have Scientists Not Caught This Before?
Every year, thousands of people receive bone marrow transplants. The surgery is commonly recommended for patients with leukemia, sickle cell anemia, and lymphoma. Then how did this dilemma not surface before? Here’s the thing: it has.
Bone marrow transfusions have interrupted criminal investigations before. Renee’s study was the first in-depth research to explore DNA changes from a scientific perspective. The team presented Chris’s case at the international forensic science conference in September of 2019.
Chimeras May Be Common (And In Trouble)
Studies suggest that chimerism may occur in 21% of triplets and 8% of twins. But these results don’t explain how common the condition may be. If these chimera news stories hadn’t come out, many people wouldn’t know that chimerism even exists.
Most people don’t take a paternity test to make sure that they’re related to their biological family. As a result, many people could be chimeras and never know it. It only becomes an issue when a person’s life is on the line.
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