Transplant Advancement
A molecule expressed during pregnancy seems to make the immune system more tolerant of transplanted organs. Human leukocyte antigen G, or HLA-G, is a member of a gene family that provokes an immune response. But HLA-G instead promotes tolerance, and MCG researchers have found it can make other gene family members more accepting, said Dr. Anatolij Horuzsko, an MCG reproductive immunologist whose research is featured in the August issue of the European Journal of Immunology.
The placenta expresses HLA-G upon conception and the molecule goes away toward the end of pregnancy. Growth factors and cytokines bring to the surface inhibitory receptors previously buried inside immune cells so they can interact with HLA-G. Scientists have documented this natural immunosupression in organ transplantation, and Dr. Horuzsko hopes to enhance the process to spare transplant patients a lifetime of generalized immune suppression.