Innate Immune Mechanisms to Protect Against Infection at the Human Decidual-Placental Interface
Authors
Hoo, Regina
Nakimuli, Annettee
Vento-Tormo, Roser
Publication Date
2020-09-10Journal Title
Frontiers in Immunology
Publisher
Frontiers Media S.A.
Volume
11
Language
en
Type
Article
This Version
VoR
Metadata
Show full item recordCitation
Hoo, R., Nakimuli, A., & Vento-Tormo, R. (2020). Innate Immune Mechanisms to Protect Against Infection at the Human Decidual-Placental Interface. Frontiers in Immunology, 11 https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2020.02070
Abstract
During pregnancy, the placenta forms the anatomical barrier between the mother and developing fetus. Infectious agents can potentially breach the placental barrier resulting in pathogenic transmission from mother to fetus. Innate immune responses, orchestrated by maternal and fetal cells at the decidual-placental interface, are the first line of defense to avoid vertical transmission. Here, we outline the anatomy of the human placenta and uterine lining, the decidua, and discuss the potential capacity of pathogen pattern recognition and other host defense strategies present in the innate immune cells at the placental-decidual interface. We consider major congenital infections that access the placenta from hematogenous or decidual route. Finally, we highlight the challenges in studying human placental responses to pathogens and vertical transmission using current experimental models and identify gaps in knowledge that need to be addressed. We further propose novel experimental strategies to address such limitations.
Keywords
Immunology, innate immunity, uterine-placental interface, trophoblast, decidua, vertical transmission
Identifiers
External DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2020.02070
This record's URL: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/310655
Rights
Licence:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/