From Bone to Brain: Transplanted male bone marrow makes nerve cells in women and girls

An unusual study of the brains of women and girls who had received transplants of bone marrow from men indicates that marrow cells can transform into nerve cells. Researchers found that each female brain had nerve cells containing a Y chromosome, presumably derived from the transplanted bone marrow.

Over the past several years, numerous research groups have reported that bone marrow, the source of a person’s blood cells, can transform into cells of the skin, muscle, heart, liver, and even brain.