Teen pirates an entire human immune system
Demi-Lee Brennan: possibly the world’s most incredible bio-punk
Sometimes when a teenager copies something they weren’t supposed to, good things happen. 15 year old Australian Demi-Lee Brennan had a liver transplant after her own liver failed. Nine months later, her doctors were stunned to find that Brennan’s blood group had changed to the donor’s blood type. Not only that, her original immune system had almost totally been replaced by that of the donors, and donor stem cells had also replaced her bone marrow, meaning she no longer had to take anti-rejection drugs. While this didn’t break any patent of copyright laws, it does defy what doctors had previously thought possible, and maybe the beginning of an incredibly beneficial new form of copying.
“We consulted widely throughout the hospital and then looked at the medical literature and consulted colleagues around the world to see if anyone had seen this kind of thing before,” Dr Michael Stormon of Westmead Children’s Hospital in Sydney told ABC News. “No-one had, so we were stunned and amazed.” Doctors are now hoping to replicate the phenomenon, but acknowledge that this is “easier said than done.” Very cool nonetheless.
January 24th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Amazing. I study and practice energy healing and a faith-based modality called Theta Healing, where transformations / miracles like this are made possible through intention and manifestation, actualized by belief. I’m heartened by this young woman’s story and - as a practitioner of healing and holistic remedies - I am excited to hear of this phenomenon capturing mainstream attention. Thanks for posting!
January 25th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
laino,
You are crazy. You sound like a scientology cultist. This is a biological process, not a spiritual miracle.
jonny rockets
January 25th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
Jonny Retard, my belief in miracles doesn’t make me a Scientologist or associate me with a cult. Do you bundle all things you don’t understand well enough to distinguish, or do you only know that Scientology is funny to people these days?
For the record, though, People Other Than Space Cadet: I don’t deny evolution or biology. I was just offering my perspective as someone who does, in fact, believe in miracles - miracles that DO involve biology. Sorry if I wasn’t clear.
January 26th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
you may have cleared your statement, but I wouldn’t say your mind is clear
January 26th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
I believe the body can also loot its own tissues and recreate stem cells for repairing organ systems that more vitally need it..
January 26th, 2008 at 11:04 pm
If her immune system has changed so the transplanted liver is no longer “foreign”, doesn’t this mean that her other organs–heck, her entire body–is now foreign to her immune system?
January 26th, 2008 at 11:24 pm
Yes, latinozeri is crazy.
he is abusing this story for his own stupid beliefs. This “phenomenon” has nothing to do with your pseudo-science about energyhealingandfaithbasedmadalities.
And you’re not studying anything just by reading books from other morons…
January 26th, 2008 at 11:42 pm
The Pirate’s Dilemma…
How is this for a cool story. It really makes you wonder what the true potential is of the human body….
January 27th, 2008 at 12:05 am
@ kingofthehill
“And you’re not studying anything just by reading books from other morons…”
So all of that high school and college was wasted by reading books?
@Alexis
Good question
Its amazing that it changed her bone marrow also.
January 27th, 2008 at 8:28 am
response to Alexis,
in regard to her entire body becoming foreign, it would be logical to assume that but in the article it says it has replaced her immune system with the donors what is the shocking part of the article, its the bone-marrow and the immune system that rejects the donor cells but since it has all been replaced with the donor’s then there is nothing rejecting any part of her body not even her own cells since it replaced everything and the donors has became her’s, hopefully i have cleared that up
Martyn Jones
January 27th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
[…] I suppose this concept isn’t too dissimilar from your run-of-the-mill graffiti, but there’s something about its messaging that’s a whole lot more appealing to me. Hijacking traditional, necessarily negative messages, if for only a short while, to deliver something more positive strikes me as one of the highest forms of piracy (somewhere below this). […]
January 27th, 2008 at 10:13 pm
This sort of phenomenon can be quantified both biologically/energetically via the application of quantum physics. Similar phenomenon on a smaller scale has been the subject of research (and subsequent discoveries) by many notable scientists — including Nobel laureates.
Let’s first consider that 98% of the atoms currently in anyone’s body weren’t there a year ago. Next, let’s examine the quantifiable scientific evidence which proves that observation/energy does indeed inform matter. There is well over 100 years of such evidence - what Einstein aptly called “spooky action at a distance.” Not metaphysical pap, but pure physics: The intrinsic and extrinsic nature of experiential reality (matter).
Whatever Latin Zero’s beliefs regarding modalities might be, Latin Zero is correct that belief informs biological processes. This is a scientific fact — not “cultist” crap, or “pseudo-science.” Perhaps a bit of research might be in order for those reductionists who are not only unaware of the advances of medicine and physics of the past decade, but of the past century.
In any case, exposing one’s ignorance in public, particularly by insulting someone else with it, is not indicative of sound reasoning.
January 28th, 2008 at 6:04 am
@Kelly
I am getting a PhD in theoretical quantum physics. What you say makes no sense. People tend to invoke certain aspects of quantum mechanics out of context. Quantum processes occur at a length scale far bellow that of biological processes. Because of this, biological processes are described by classical physics and no quantum effects persist.
January 28th, 2008 at 11:58 pm
Sharik…
But there is that realm where quantum and classical physics seem directly at odds with each other… Peraps something in between might address this, but we just can’t see it?
Not really questioning your process, since you are the studying this, but the impression I have is that energy has a pretty sound effect on physics and if thought is energy…. this may be the thought process behind Kelly’s reasoning.
Someday I wil have to time to competently inform myself on the real deal, and be able to see what you do. iN the meantime, this is really fascinating… Has anyones run this through Snopes yet?
January 29th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
Erikai: No. That is not how science works.
A good start: http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=18
January 30th, 2008 at 10:38 am
OK people why are we bashing Latino Zero? I mean come on. We should be stating how amazing it is what this young girls body did. And if you call what other people believe in morons that is what you are, a moron or maybe not. You are closed minded and one of the problems with this world. Accept each other and love one another despite differences in beliefs. And this does have some relation to their beliefs in the manner that it IS a miracle. It’s a wonder of science and GOD. This young girl is blessed to have what happened to her happen. From what I read some of her ailments have gone away. Truly miraculous.
January 30th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
What this makes me wonder is what about her children?
Will they have the blood type of her or of her “new” self?
January 30th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
to Latino Zero - I agree with you on all counts.
January 30th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
There are cases where a person carries two different sets of DNA without experiencing side effects. These cases show that we still have a lot to learn about the potential of our biology. Remember, we study and define based on observation, natural processes are not defined by what we understand. Instead what we understand is defined by the processes we are able to observe.
Good luck
January 30th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
Is it just me….or does this seem odd. I’m pretty sure when you’re looking for organ donors, you look for matches, in blood, and in major histocompatability complexes (MHC)…if this is true….why would the blood group change?
Please Correct me if i’m wrong
January 30th, 2008 at 7:33 pm
I like how her double-barrel name Demi-Lee makes her sound like a hybrid. This is a super-cool observed developmental stage for us human-folk.
Did anyone read about the chicken genetically modified to regrow any cell type? They cut it’s wing off which grew back in 2 weeks. It’s baffling.
@Latino Zero
Only last year when I was stricken rigeurmortis-like from cancer, luckily, I remembered my scientific community researched and endorsed degree on theta healing, merely beleived I had no genetic abnormality and *poof* cancer-be-gone.
It’s a wonder all the other people in the world are so stupid as to not just miracle their illness away.Also, shouldn’t they use the proven technique of prayer or priest high-fiving. Both 100% proven.
@look at me
What are the chances that both your high school AND college would have libraries full of only literature written by morons ? That is harrowing.
@Kelly
How in the heck does one quantify something energetically ? Eat a Mars bar before hand ?
Also, juxtapositioning ‘Not metaphysical pap’ with ‘The intrinsic and extrinsic nature of experiential reality’ results in a lovely piece of instant ironic doubletalk.
All this wooly pseudo science has worn me out. Good night.
@sandswipe+Sharik+Latino Zero is CRAZY
*tips hat*
January 31st, 2008 at 9:13 pm
This girl should be thrown in jail. How dare she rip off someone else’s immune system and biology for her own gain?
February 6th, 2008 at 11:53 pm
The only person that makes sense is the irrationally vengeful internet stranger.
You really make me laugh.
Now candidly is this really true? It is not yet APRIL first!
February 7th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
This reminds me of people who have heart transplants but then develop skills, tastes or sensibilities that are new to them but characteristic of the doner - as if the heart and brain are far more related than we yet understand. Fascinating. I am manic depressive and now have a new mission - MOODJACKING!
February 7th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
This article is crap! I am a bone marrow transplant survivor and the fact that she has new stem cells should indicate a whole list of possible issues that would occur as rejection or graft versus host disease. I am 5 years out from transplant and still dealing with chronic rejection issues. Oh..and for purposes of clarification, my blood type changed to that of my donor at the time of my transplant. My transplant donor is German and I do not have more of an appetite for Wheat beer or large pieces of sausages. However, at the end of the day, the ironic part is that me and my donor are twins…immunologically speaking. Please don’t believe all of the crap on the internet. I can’t believe this came up in a Stumble…
February 7th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
Yep. You are talking about a chimera, which is an understood biological condition.
Latino Zero does write a load of bull.
Quantum Physics says observation effects reality. Not belief.
And what makes you sound like a Scientologist is the “Theta Healing”. Thetas are a belief of Scientologists, and I havent seen the word used in a spiritual sense anywhere else.
And Lance; Type A blood can also recieve O blood, as can B
AB can take all.
O can take only O
February 9th, 2008 at 8:13 am
I am much cleverer than any of you lot and the long words I can use are so much more complicated that you couldn’t possibly understand them, so I will just point out that I have several PhDs and you are all wrong.
February 13th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
This phenomena could be a coincidence. About 30 years ago when I was accepted to Berkley, (I did not go to school there however), I met up with a professor who was cloning. Now we are cloning cancer cells because they have the ability to clone swiftly. This might be something having to do with this. Cancer can remain dormant, and some cells that are not cancer have this similar ability and create lipo tumors and such. Quite possibly something attached itself to these cells and created a little cloning factory for her bones and blood…something to investigate. Also, there have been discoveries concerning inherent Dna which prevents people form getting Aids even though exposed. Quite possibly it is something in her Dna which allows her to mutate like a starfish…
As for peoples beliefs, do not laugh. Someones mental attitude can germinate a very fertile place for recooperative abilities….
Do not ever get angry at what you cannot understand. It will impede your ability for cerebral growth…
blessings to all
February 13th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
YOU ARE ALL MORONS!!!
okay,
yeah. that is pretty cool
February 19th, 2008 at 1:24 am
LATE BREAKING NEWS!!!
Following Demi-Lee’s immune system’s lead, her other major organs have turned foreign as well!!
Her vocal cords are now Mexican (andele, andele! arriba, arriba!)….
February 24th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
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February 26th, 2008 at 12:08 am
Anyone wanna stop being selfish assholes for a second and credit the fact that this girl may be healthier than she was before the transplant or do you all want to just keep ramming opinions and book based facts up each other’s assholes like you’re stuffing a turkey have a good day every day above ground is a good day mother fuckers peace dickheads
March 7th, 2008 at 11:26 am
[…] Teen’s Immune System pirates Donor’s Blood This just reminds me of how great is our God! After receiving a liver transplant, her immune system started making copies of the donated blood cells, to replenish her own blood cells. […]
June 14th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
This sounds like a “freak occurance.” Since a liver transplant involves the death of someone, it would be interesting to learn the entire story. A message from god, lol
July 26th, 2008 at 2:23 am
Leave it alone…all of you..with the exception of ..yep who quote SAID WE STILL HAVE MUCH TO LEARN ABOUT OUR BIOLOGY…JAN 30 2008 608 PM.and yes it is phenomenon worth investigating further.