Study M, Scott NM, Lauzon-Joset JF, Holt PG, Strickland DH
The Kids Research Institute Australia, The University of Western Australia, Perth Australia
For a successful pregnancy, the maternal immune system must make significant adaptions to tolerate the semi-allogeneic fetus. This process involves selective alterations to number, activity and function of immune cells in gestational tissues, in a tissue specific manner and dependent on gestational age. To date there remains much to be learned, but it is clear that imbalances in number and function of immune cells within gestational tissues could be critical and even fatal to the developing fetus. Maternal inflammatory responses of pathogenic and non-pathogenic origin can disturb this balance and result in adverse pregnancy outcomes such as preterm birth and small for gestational age infants. To further our understanding of the types and roles of immune cells in gestational tissues in healthy pregnancy this study is focused on identifying the subsets of immune cells in gestational tissues (placenta, decidua, uterus, lymph nodes) and in a cross-section of other peripheral tissues over a time course of a normal healthy pregnancy. This data will serve as an invaluable guideline of normality, which will be used to better understand the mechanisms underlying pregnancy complications.
Lay Summary:
This is a strategic “pilot” project in which we are seeking basic information on the immune cell content of gestational tissues, which will serve as the basis for development of a new research program in 2016.