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In addition to their established role in fighting pathogens, certain maternal immune cells (neutrophils) can support early placental development by helping placental cells migrate into the uterine lining.

A MedUni Vienna research team has shown that the placental environment can reprogram these immune cells so that they support important developmental processes instead of triggering harmful inflammatory responses. The findings are published in the journal Science Immunology.

Neutrophils are part of the immune system's first line of defense and are best known for fighting pathogens. In early pregnancy, however, some of these cells appear to take on a different role, as shown by the team led by Jürgen Pollheimer at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the Medical University of Vienna.

Early in pregnancy, specialized placental cells migrate into the uterine lining. There they anchor the placenta in maternal tissue and help remodel the mother's blood vessels. These processes ensure an adequate blood supply to the embryo and are essential for a successful pregnancy.

At this interface, the researchers found particularly large numbers of neutrophils. These cells differ markedly from neutrophils circulating in the blood. In laboratory experiments, tissue neutrophils increased the motility of placental cells, helping them migrate into maternal tissue.

Neutrophils from the same patients' blood initially damaged placental cells. The researchers showed that signals from the placental environment can change this behavior.

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