Role of decidual natural killer cells at the Maternal–Fetal interface during pregnancy

Abstract

Pregnancy is a complicated process with intricate cell-to-cell crosstalk and immune regulation. Decidual natural killer (NK) cells account for 50%–70% of decidual immune cells in early pregnancy, suggesting that they play important roles in various events, such as embryo implantation and vascular remodeling. Many studies have shown that decidual NK cells interact with other cells either through direct contact or the secretion factors such as cytokines and chemokines. Hence, this review aimed to present the phenotypic characteristics, classification, and functions of decidual NK cells at the maternal–fetal interface during pregnancy.

Keywords

• Decidual Natural Killer Cells; Maternal–Fetal Immune Tolerance; Vascular Remodeling