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Updated: Aug 26, 2025

Isolation of Leukocytes from the Murine Tissues at the Maternal-Fetal Interface
Published on: May 21, 2015
Immune-Metabolic Interactions and T Cell Tolerance in Pregnancy
Lachlan M Moldenhauer1, M Louise Hull1, Kerrie L Foyle1
1Robinson Research Institute and School of Biomedicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; and.
Abstract:
Pregnancy depends on a state of maternal immune tolerance mediated by CD4+ regulatory T (Treg) cells. Uterine Treg cells release anti-inflammatory factors, inhibit effector immunity, and support adaptation of the uterine vasculature to facilitate placental development. Insufficient Treg cells or inadequate functional competence is implicated in infertility and recurrent miscarriage, as well as pregnancy complications preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction, and preterm birth, which stem from placental insufficiency. In this review we address an emerging area of interest in pregnancy immunology-the significance of metabolic status in regulating the Treg cell expansion required for maternal-fetal tolerance. We describe how hyperglycemia and insulin resistance affect T cell responses to suppress generation of Treg cells, summarize data that implicate a role for altered glucose metabolism in impaired maternal-fetal tolerance, and explore the prospect of targeting dysregulated metabolism to rebalance the adaptive immune response in women experiencing reproductive disorders.
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