what happens with a donor organ’s DNA after a successful transplant?

2.20K views

My assumption is that over time the organ regenerates new cells with the host’s DNA. Or do the two stay distinct for life, or do they merge into a mix of the two? If they stay separate, is there a definite boundary, and does the host’s future offspring bear the DNA of three bloodlines instead of two?

In: Biology

10 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

I have very very minimal knowledge of this, but my mom had a double lung transplant in 2017 and I think the reason that rejection can occur at literally any time is because the DNA is different. Which is also why my mom can’t take any sort of immune system boosting meds like emergen-C because it would encourage her body to fight off the foreign cells/dna.
Just my thoughts though, I never talked to the doctor about that specifically.

You are viewing 1 out of 10 answers, click here to view all answers.