Basic Study of functionality and cell differentiation of decidual macrophages targeting the development of novel clinical approach for the prediction and the therapy of preterm delivery.

本研究旨在探讨蜕膜巨噬细胞在早产病理中的相关性。我们澄清了蜕膜巨噬细胞具有独特的免疫特性，可以促进母体对体液因子介导的胎儿抗原的耐受和直接的细胞间相互作用。我们的发现表明，这种抗炎特性可能是早产的一个负面因素，导致宫内感染的进展。在小鼠模型分析中，巨噬细胞在宫内感染时发生促炎表型的功能转换。使用抗炎物质抑制这种表型转变可能是治疗早产的新策略。

This study aimed to investigate the relevance of decidual macrophages in the pathology of preterm delivery. We clarified that decidual macrophages have unique immunological property that promotes maternal tolerance to fetal antigen mediated by humoral factors and direct cell-to-cell interaction. Our finding proposed that this anti-inflammatory property might act as a negative factor upon preterm delivery, leading to the progression of intrauterine infection. In the analysis using mouse model, functional switching of macrophages to pro-inflammatory phenotype occurs upon intrauterine infection. The suppression of this phenotypical shift using anti-inflammatory substance can be a new strategy for the treatment of preterm delivery.