What kind of project
The project is suitable for ISA and/or 1-year pregraduate study.
Background
During pregnancy, there is a bidirectional exchange of cells between the pregnant woman and her fetus that in some cases lead to the establishment of the presence of small amount of genetically distinct cells in the fetus and/or the mother that may persist many years after pregnancy. This phenomenon is referred to as microchimerism and can be divided into fetal microchimerism (FMc) and maternal microchimerism (MMc). Studies have suggested that MMc and FMc may be involved in pregnancy complications, autoimmune diseases and malignancy, but the exact role is still uncertain.
Aim
The aim of the project is to gain insight into the role of microchimerism in autoimmune diseases, pregnancy complications and malignancy.
What will be your role?
Your role will be to develop and validate ddPCR method for detection of microchimerism and to use the assay on samples from a cohort of woman with pregnancy complications.
Principal investigator
Assistant professor Marianne Antonius Jakobsen
Contact: marianne.jakobsen@rsyd.dk