Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 13, 2025

Isolation of Leukocytes from the Murine Tissues at the Maternal-Fetal Interface
07:51

Isolation of Leukocytes from the Murine Tissues at the Maternal-Fetal Interface

Published on: May 21, 2015

17.7K

Crosstalk Between Trophoblasts and Decidual Immune Cells: The Cornerstone of Maternal-Fetal Immunotolerance

Ling Xu1, Yanhong Li1, Yifei Sang1

  • 1Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology, NHC Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, China.

Frontiers in Immunology
|March 15, 2021
PubMed

The success of pregnancy relies on the fine adjustment of the maternal immune system to tolerate the allogeneic fetus. Trophoblasts carrying paternal antigens are the only fetal-derived cells that come into direct contact with the maternal immune cells at the maternal-fetal interface. The crosstalk between trophoblasts and decidual immune cells (DICs) via cell-cell direct interaction and soluble factors such as chemokines and cytokines is a core event contributing to the unique immunotolerant microenvironment. Abnormal trophoblasts-DICs crosstalk can lead to dysregulated immune situations, which is well known to be a potential cause of a series of pregnancy complications including recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA), which is the most common one. Immunotherapy has been applied to RSA. However, its development has been far less rapid or mature than that of cancer immunotherapy. Elucidating the mechanism of maternal-fetal immune tolerance, the theoretical basis for RSA immunotherapy, not only helps to understand the establishment and maintenance of normal pregnancy but also provides new therapeutic strategies and promotes the progress of immunotherapy against pregnancy-related diseases caused by disrupted immunotolerance. In this review, we focus on recent progress in the maternal-fetal immune tolerance mediated by trophoblasts-DICs crosstalk and clinical application of immunotherapy in RSA. Advancement in this area will further accelerate the basic research and clinical transformation of reproductive immunity and tumor immunity.

Keywords:
decidual immune cellsimmunotherapymaternal-fetal immunotolerancerecurrent spontaneous abortiontrophoblasts

More Related Videos

Isolation of Leukocytes from the Human Maternal-fetal Interface08:19

Isolation of Leukocytes from the Human Maternal-fetal Interface

Published on: May 21, 2015

16.4K
Isolation of Primary Human Decidual Cells from the Fetal Membranes of Term Placentae07:37

Isolation of Primary Human Decidual Cells from the Fetal Membranes of Term Placentae

Published on: April 30, 2018

14.7K

Related Concept Videos

Transcytosis of IgG01:15

Transcytosis of IgG

Transcytosis is the process in which molecules are internalized by endocytosis, transported across the cell, and released through exocytosis from the opposite end of the cell. Molecules such as insulin, immunoglobulins, and certain nutrients are transferred through the recycling endosomes by recycling and transcytosis.
IgG molecules from a mother undergo transcytosis starting around 13 weeks of gestation. The amount of IgG transferred and entering the fetal blood circulation increases with...
3.6K
Development of Immunocompetence01:22

Development of Immunocompetence

The initiation of cell-mediated immunity can be observed as early as the third month of fetal growth, with active antibody-mediated immunity following approximately one month later.
The initial cells that migrate from the fetal thymus settle within the skin and epithelial tissues lining the mouth, digestive tract, and in females, the uterus and vagina. These cells, including skin-based dendritic cells, serve as antigen-presenting cells, playing a key role in T cell activation.
Subsequent T...
573
Teratogenicity01:07

Teratogenicity

The ability of a drug to produce structural deformations and functional abnormalities in the developing embryo or the fetus is called teratogenicity, and the drug producing this effect is known as a teratogen. Teratogenic effects include stillbirth, miscarriage, intrauterine growth restriction, and neurocognitive delay. A teratogen may affect the embryo at different stages of development, which is important in determining the type and extent of the damage. During blastocyst formation, the early...
3.7K
Cell-mediated Immune Responses01:40

Cell-mediated Immune Responses

Overview
79.6K
T Cell Types and Functions01:24

T Cell Types and Functions

When T cells with CD4 markers are activated, they give rise to two types of effector cells: helper T cells and regulatory T cells. Meanwhile, T cells with CD8 markers differentiate into effector cytotoxic T cells. The differentiation of CD4 T cells into helper T cell subsets, such as Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells, is dependent on the antigen type, antigen-presenting cell, and regulatory cytokines.
Th1 cells stimulate dendritic cells to express necessary co-stimulatory molecules on their surfaces for...
1.7K
Special Features of Adaptive Immunity01:20

Special Features of Adaptive Immunity

The adaptive immune system, a crucial component of the overall immune response, offers a highly specialized defense against pathogens. It involves specific cell types and features, enabling it to combat infections effectively and efficiently.
The primary cell types involved in adaptive immunity are T cells and B cells. Each type has a unique role in defending the body against pathogens. T cells are responsible for cell-mediated immunity. They identify and eliminate infected cells directly,...
1.7K