Recent comments in /f/askscience

cryptotope t1_j1s2147 wrote

Reply to comment by DudoVene in How does mRNA vaccine help the immune system identify cancer cells? by adamgerges

This is correct, but I don't think it quite answers the OP's question.

I believe they're asking why, if those cancer-specific cell surface markers are already present on the surface of malignant cells in the body, the immune system doesn't generate antibodies to them.

In other words, what's special about an mRNA vaccine and the way it presents tumor-associated antigens to the body that prompts an immune response and antibody generation, when those same antigens don't do anything by themselves when they're sitting on the surface of a cancer cell?

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CartographerMore9712 t1_j1s0vuo wrote

Reply to comment by Jimboats in What happens if a mother‘a child has a non-compatible blood type? What will happen when she is pregnant? by thebookklepto

They do free fetal DNA testing in the Uk. The IGBRL in Bristol is one of the major testing centres there. They can predict the Rh status of the baby from the baby’s DNA circulating in the mothers blood. About 35-40% of Rh- mothers will have Rh- babies. I will say not all maternity hospitals avail of this test but it is available

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Jimboats t1_j1rsy16 wrote

Reply to comment by CartographerMore9712 in What happens if a mother‘a child has a non-compatible blood type? What will happen when she is pregnant? by thebookklepto

I think this must be country-dependent. In the UK all Rh- women are given the injection. I mean, how can you be certain that the father is really the father of that child? Surely that must give rise to a non-zero number of cases where there is a high risk of a baby being exposed unnecessarily?

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CartographerMore9712 t1_j1rpoqq wrote

Reply to comment by DisulfideBondage in What happens if a mother‘a child has a non-compatible blood type? What will happen when she is pregnant? by thebookklepto

It’s the opposite. Yes The risk is low during pregnancy and is more likely to occur during delivery but it’s the baby’s blood that passes into the mothers blood stream causing the mother immune system to produce antibodies against the baby’s blood. These antibodies can pass across the placenta and attack the baby’s blood cells causing them to be destroyed. It is then the subsequent pregnancies that the Fetus and baby are affected.

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CartographerMore9712 t1_j1roe1t wrote

Reply to comment by ModlrMike in What happens if a mother‘a child has a non-compatible blood type? What will happen when she is pregnant? by thebookklepto

I work in a blood bank. From when the mother is greater than 12weeks gestation we can test the free fetal Dna is her blood to predict the baby’s Rh status. Only the women with predicted Rh positive babies will then receive the RhIg injection. With us the mothers will receive the RhIg injection routinely at 28weeks gestation but they will also receive it for any potential sensitising event throughout the pregnancy such as abdominal trauma or pv bleeds.

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