Inviting regulatory T cells to pregnant endometrium: friends or foes in adverse pregnancy outcomes?

Shibin Cheng, Zhengke Wang, Surendra Sharma

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Among decidual immune cells, regulatory T cells (Tregs) have been unanimously recognized as central contributors to tolerance and maintenance of healthy pregnancy. Numerical and functional downregulation of Tregs or disturbed interaction of Tregs with trophoblasts and other immune cells have been linked to early pregnancy loss such as idiopathic infertility and miscarriage and later-onset adverse pregnancy outcomes including preeclampsia. This review focuses on the mechanisms for regulating the generation, expansion, and function of Tregs, the roles of Tregs in maintaining maternal immune tolerance through crosstalk with trophoblasts and other decidual regulatory immune cells, and how Tregs may play foes to pregnancy and contribute to the programming of pregnancy-related complications. Therapeutic options for implantation failure and adverse pregnancy outcomes are now part of the emerging significance of Tregs in pregnancy tolerance and maintenance.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)363-382
Number of pages20
JournalExploration of Immunology
Volume2
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 2022
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Regulatory T cells
  • immune tolerance
  • natural killer cell
  • pregnancy
  • trophoblast

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Immunology and Microbiology (miscellaneous)
  • Immunology
  • Microbiology

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