Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 24, 2026

Assessment of Morphine-induced Hyperalgesia and Analgesic Tolerance in Mice Using Thermal and Mechanical Nociceptive Modalities
Published on: July 29, 2014
Mechanisms of T cell tolerance towards the allogeneic fetus
1Department of Pathology and NYU Cancer Institute, NYU School of Medicine, Langone Medical Center, 550 First Avenue, New York, New York 10016, USA. adrian.erlebacher@nyumc.org
Work on the mechanisms of fetomaternal tolerance has undergone a renaissance in recent years, and the general outlines of a solution to this long-standing paradox of 'transplantation' immunology have come into view. Here, we discuss several mechanisms, recently described in mice, that either minimize the activation of maternal T cells with fetal or placental specificity, or minimize the possibility that such T cells, if activated, are able to harm the fetus. The T cell response to antigens expressed by the conceptus serves as a paradigm for the study of tissue-specific immune tolerance and is relevant to the pathogenesis of immune-mediated pregnancy complications.
Work on the mechanisms of fetomaternal tolerance has undergone a renaissance in recent years, and the general outlines of a solution to this long-standing paradox of 'transplantation' immunology have come into view. Here, we discuss several mechanisms, recently described in mice, that either minimize the activation of maternal T cells with fetal or placental specificity, or minimize the possibility that such T cells, if activated, are able to harm the fetus. The T cell response to antigens expressed by the conceptus serves as a paradigm for the study of tissue-specific immune tolerance and is relevant to the pathogenesis of immune-mediated pregnancy complications.
Related Concept Videos
Mechanism of Conjugation
Development of the Sexual Organs in the Embryo and Fetus
Near the gonadal ridges, two duct systems are present: the mesonephric ducts (Wolffian ducts) and paramesonephric ducts (Müllerian ducts). These ducts form the basis for the...
Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
Cell-matrix's Response to Mechanical Forces
Anchoring junctions mechanically attach a cell to the...
Mechanical Protein Functions
Reaction Mechanisms
For instance, the decomposition of ozone appears to follow a mechanism with two steps:

