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Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Isolation of Leukocytes from the Murine Tissues at the Maternal-Fetal Interface
Published on: May 21, 2015
Extinguishing maternal immune responses during pregnancy: implications for immunosuppression
1Medical College of Georgia, Program in Molecular Immunology, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Medical College of Georgia, 1120 15th Street, Augusta, GA 30912, USA. amellor@mail.mcg.edu
Abstract:
Mammals owe their existence to immunosuppressive processes that prevent fetal rejection in utero. Blocking tryptophan catabolism during murine pregnancy allows maternal T cells to provoke fetal allograft rejection. Cells expressing indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), which catabolizes tryptophan, prevent T cell cycle progression and enhance activation induced T cell death. Here, we discuss the role of cells expressing IDO in regulating maternal T cell immunity during pregnancy and consider whether this mechanism might contribute to immunological discrimination by promoting T cell tolerance in other circumstances.
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