HLA-G: At the Interface of Maternal–Fetal Tolerance

• Autores: Leonardo M.R. Ferreira, Torsten B. Meissner, Tamara Tilburgs, Jack L. Strominger
• Localización: Trends in immunology, ISSN 1471-4906, Vol. 38, Nº. 4, 2017, págs. 272-286
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • During pregnancy, semiallogeneic fetal extravillous trophoblasts (EVT) invade the uterine mucosa without being rejected by the maternal immune system. Several mechanisms were initially proposed by Peter Medawar half a century ago to explain this apparent violation of the laws of transplantation. Then, three decades ago, an unusual human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecule was identified: HLA-G. Uniquely expressed in EVT, HLA-G has since become the center of the present understanding of fetus-induced immune tolerance. Despite slow progress in the field, the last few years have seen an explosion in our knowledge of HLA-G biology. Here, we critically review new insights into the mechanisms controlling the expression and function of HLA-G at the maternal–fetal interface, and discuss their relevance for fetal tolerance.