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Updated: Jan 29, 2026

Human Placental and Decidual Organ Cultures to Study Infections at the Maternal-fetal Interface
Published on: July 21, 2016
Dendritic cell function at the maternal-fetal interface
Elisa Tagliani1, Adrian Erlebacher
1Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.
Abstract:
Understanding the evolutionary adaptation of the immune system to the developing fetus and placenta represents one of the most fascinating problems in reproductive biology. Recent work has focused on how the behavior of dendritic cells (DCs) is altered at the maternal-fetal interface to suit the unique requirements of pregnancy. This work has provided a significant new perspective into the long-standing immunological paradox of fetomaternal tolerance, and has opened up a new and intriguing area of research into the potential trophic role of uterine DCs in the peri-implantation period. Further research on the biology of uterine DCs promises to give insight into the pathogenesis of many clinically important disorders of pregnancy.
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