Premium
Uterine natural killer cells: To protect and to nurture
Author(s) -
Sojka Dorothy K.,
Yang Liping,
Yokoyama Wayne M.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
birth defects research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.845
H-Index - 17
ISSN - 2472-1727
DOI - 10.1002/bdr2.1419
Subject(s) - fetus , nature versus nurture , biology , uterus , pregnancy , immune system , immunology , microbiology and biotechnology , embryo , reproductive immunology , natural killer cell , embryogenesis , cytotoxicity , reproductive biology , in vitro , genetics
During the course of pregnancy, the maternal‐fetal interface is tightly regulated and undergoes dynamic changes that promote the successful development of the semi‐allogeneic fetus. In response to embryo implantation, the uterus remodels with maternal immune cells occupying the maternal‐fetal interface and uterine natural killer (uNK) cells becoming the most prominent leukocyte. Recently, uNK cells have been discovered to be heterogeneous, including conventional NK and tissue‐resident NK cells. Here, we will review the recent advances in uNK cell biology and discuss their functional mechanisms which protect and nurture the growing fetus.