Grant: Project Grant

Mammalian reproduction initiates with the fertilization of the ova by the sperm, followed by implantation of the newly formed embryo, the development and growth of the fetus which ends with the delivery of the baby. Successful pregnancy requires communication between the mother and the developing baby and there also need to be an adaptation by the mother's immune system to reject the baby. Failure of the mother's immune system to properly adapt will results in either a failure of the embryo to implant in the uterus or the pregnancy will be terminated. Thus, it is crucial that we identify the mechanisms by which the mother's immune system adapts to tolerate the developing baby. Our previous research on the role of Nodal during pregnancy has shown that it is a factor that plays an important role in modulating the immune response of the mother. We have shown the mother's immune system is dysregulated and so most of the time the embryos fail to implant in the uterus because the mother's immune system has not properly adapted. Also, during mid-pregnancy there is an unbalance of the immune cells in the uterus which has deleterious effect on the developing baby. Our proposal aims at addressing how Nodal modulated the mother's immune system during pregnancy.