What prevents a pregnant woman's immune system from recognizing her fetus as nonself (and attacking)? I'm familiar with the scenario of Rh- mother with Rh+ fetus having complications (more so after her first child), but that's not what I'm curious about. I want to know mechanistically why a pregnant woman's body does not display a reaction similar to what we see with rejection from a mismatched organ transplant. On the most basic level, I feel as though the fetus should be recognized as "nonself" due to paternal genetic contribution. I feel as though if this mechanism could be understood, it could be harnessed for other situations (e.g., organ transplants).

Just so that someone answers this question so that the moderators have less work to do:

The fundamental reason why embryos don't get massacred by the maternal immune system is because of the placenta and several of its functions. Three mechanisms are:

1) Secretion of neurokinin B, which is also secreted by parasites to avoid detection of the host.
2) The placenta has developed immunoevasive actions from a virus. It creates a syncytium to limit transaction of mobile immune cells.
3)It only allows specific antibodies,(IgG) to enter and bind infection. (IgG being the only isotype here).


Yay for biology