Maternal immune responses induced by human placentation

This project aims to better understand the complexities of human pregnancy. In detail, we seek to understand how the mothers immune cells interact with the process of placentation, which plays an important role in the development of the growing baby. During pregnancy, the uterus (often colloquially referred to as the mother`s womb) undergoes significant changes. The pregnant uterus is invaded by cells from the placenta, called trophoblasts. These trophoblasts control the nutrient and oxygen support of the baby. Among other functions, trophoblast invasion triggers changes in the immune system to make sure the mothers body accepts the baby and does not attack it. However, failure in the interaction between trophoblasts and the immune system can cause serious problems, even leading to the loss of pregnancy. To understand this balance between maternal immune cells and trophoblasts better, our team focuses on two specific parts of the uterus: one that is directly affected by the placenta, and one that is not affected. By comparing these two areas, we hope to gain a better understanding of the specific changes in the immune cells that are provoked by placentation. To do this we will use cutting-edge technology like single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA- seq) to study these tissues. scRNA-seq is a powerful technology that can analyze the genetic activity of - in our project - around 200,000 individual cells. By performing scRNA-seq, we will gain detailed information about the nature of these cells and their unique functions. We further plan to take advantage of specific computational analyses to predict how these immune cells interact with trophoblasts. In addition, we will also use these information obtained by our computer-based analyses to isolate specific cell types from the uterus to study their functions. One aspect of these experiments will focus on understanding how factors from the placenta affects maternal immune cells. To ensure that we cover all aspects of our project, we will be working with experts from various fields, including scRNA-seq, high-tech imaging, immune cell biology and clinical gynecology. Through this project, we hope to gain new insights into the interaction between the mother`s immune system and the placenta. Our main goal is to improve the well-being of mothers and babies during pregnancy and thus also their prospects for a healthy future.