title: HLA-G: At the Interface of Maternal-Fetal Tolerance.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
authors.forename: Leonardo M R
authors.initials: LMR
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
authors.forename: Torsten B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Meissner
authors.affiliation: Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tilburgs
authors.affiliation: Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. Electronic address: jlstrom@fas.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Jack L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Strominger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D059951:HLA-G Antigens / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006648:Histocompatibility; D006801:Humans; D007519:Isoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D033261:Maternal-Fetal Relations; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000276:immunology*; D023001:Transplantation Tolerance; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D059951:HLA-G Antigens; D007519:Isoantigens