Address for correspondence: Gil Mor, M.D., Ph,D., Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, Reproductive Immunology Unit, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar St., FMB 301, New Haven, CT 06520. Voice: +1-203-785-6294; fax: +1-203-785-4883. gil.mor{at}yale.edu
During normal pregnancy, the decidua is populated by a variety
of leucocytes; however, cells of the innate immune system seem
to dominate this tissue. Their presence suggests that the innate
immune system is not indifferent to the fetus and has been associated
with a response of the maternal immune system to the "semi-allograft
fetus." New evidences, however, indicates that these immune
cells are critical for decidual and trophoblast development,
rather than induction of tolerance. We hypothesized that, during
implantation, an inflammatory environment is necessary for the
attachment and invasion of the blastocyst. Therefore, we propose
the existence of an "inflammatory-mediated embryo implantation"
condition that is dependent on the proper "education" of the
innate immune system by the trophoblast. Here we postulate that
trophoblast cells successfully orchestrate their inflammatory
environment and regulate immune cell differentiation and activation.
