Innate immunity in miscarriage and preterm birth:the central role of dendritic cells and invariant natural killer T(iNKT)cells

Abstract

Innate immunity plays an important role in reproduction. Particularly, dendritic cells (DCs) and invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are seemed to be the important players for the onset of miscarriage and preterm birth in murine and human pregnancy. In this review, the characteristic features and functions of these cells in fetomaternal immunity and their contributions to the onset of miscarriage and preterm birth are discussed. These insights on innate immune system function in reproduction may provide new perspectives for understanding the etiology of pregnancy complications.