Chapter 6b. Dendritic cells: new insights in reproduction

BLOIS, SM; ARCK, PC; BARRIENTOS, G

Immunology of Pregnancy

Bentham Science Publishers

Año: 2012;

During pregnancy, the maternal immune system is presented with the major challenge ofmaintaining a state of tolerance towards the allogeneic fetus, yet retaining the ability to mountan effective response to pathogens. Dendritic cells (DC) are bone marrow-derived professionalantigen presenting cells critical in promoting immune responses and preventing autoimmunity.DC accumulate in the uterus during early stages of gestation, where micro environmentalsignals drive their maturation and determine their tolerogenic or immunogenic potential. Mostimportantly, DC subsets have recently emerged as important regulators of angiogenic andvascularization responses, which constitute a hallmark of successful implantation andpregnancy. This chapter discusses current aspects of DC biology at the fetal-maternalinterface, focusing both on their classical role as promoters of tolerance or immunity; as wellas the importance of their interplay with other components of the maternal immune system (i.e.,NK cells) for the maintenance of pregnancy. A better understanding of the molecules andmechanisms modulating DC functions during gestation will provide important insights inreproductive medicine.