title: Recent Advances in Our Understanding of HLA-G Biology: Lessons from a Wide Spectrum of Human Diseases.
abstract: HLA-G is a HLA-class Ib molecule with potent immunomodulatory activities, which is expressed in physiological conditions, where modulation of the immune response is required to avoid allograft recognition (i.e., maternal-fetal interface or transplanted patients). However, HLA-G can be expressed de novo at high levels in several pathological conditions, including solid and hematological tumors and during microbial or viral infections, leading to the impairment of the immune response against tumor cells or pathogens, respectively. On the other hand, the loss of HLA-G mediated control of the immune responses may lead to the onset of autoimmune/inflammatory diseases, caused by an uncontrolled activation of the immune effector cells. Here, we have reviewed novel findings on HLA-G functions in different physiological and pathological settings, which have been published in the last two years. These studies further confirmed the important role of this molecule in the modulation of the immune system.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Oncology, Istituto Giannina Gaslini, 16147 Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-2849-7595
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Morandi
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Diagnostic Medicine, Section of Microbiology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9507-9126
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rizzo
authors.affiliation: Neuroradiology Unit, Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, 50134 Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-0477-724X
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fainardi
authors.affiliation: CEA, Institut des Maladies Emergentes et des Therapies Innovantes (iMETI), Service de Recherche en Hemato-Immunologie (SRHI), Hôpital Saint-Louis, 75010 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-5288-0191
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rouas-Freiss
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Oncology, Istituto Giannina Gaslini, 16147 Genoa, Italy.
authors.forename: Vito
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-0528-9563
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pistoia
mesh_terms: D064591:Allografts / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D059951:HLA-G Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D056747:Immunomodulation; D007239:Infections / Q000276:immunology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D059951:HLA-G Antigens