It has long perplexed scientists how during pregnancy, mothers don't reject the fetus. When a foreign organism enters the body, the immune system's standard response is to send fighter cells to attack the invader. In some ways, a fetus growing inside the uterus is also a foreign being, sapping the mother's energy and nutrients. Yet evolutionarily, our entire species depends on something breaking that cycle to create a symbiotic relationship between mother and child.
A new study published today in the journal Science deepens our understanding of the maternal-fetal bond and chips away at this question, building on decades of research designed to uncover these mysteries. Although the research was conducted in mice, the findings could inform treatments that reduce maternal and infant mortality, preterm birth and other pregnancy complications in humans, said study author Dr. Sing Sing Way, Ph.D., an infectious disease pediatrician at Cincinnati Children's.
