Reproduction Abstracts

Maternal and embryonic factors integrate to determine the success of embryo implantation and progression to pregnancy, with major impact on later placental and fetal development, and long-term consequences for offspring health. The female immune response is a major force in this peri-conception environment. In contrast to conventional wisdom, the immune response is not passive or suppressed in pregnancy. Instead, immune cells are centrally engaged with all steps of the reprodu...

The pathophysiology of preterm labour is poorly understood and the causal factors uncertain, but inflammatory mechanisms are clearly implicated. Escherichia coli contain lipopolysaccharide, a pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) which binds Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and related TLR-associated receptors to activate inflammation and induce preterm delivery (PTD). This project seeks to investigate whether inhibition of the TLR4 signalling pathway using small mo...

The fetus is antigenically distinct from the mother and therefore the maternal immune system must establish immunological tolerance towards the fetus to support pregnancy. Fetal-maternal tolerance is primarily mediated by a specialised subset of CD4+T cells known as regulatory T (Treg) cells. Absence or reduced function of Treg cells at embryo implantation causes infertility in mice and is implicated as a cause of reproductive disorders in women. The importance of a...