中山大学发表最新Cell论文

Core Insights - The article discusses the critical role of the immune system during the mid-pregnancy period (13-28 weeks), highlighting the expansion and maturation of immune cell lineages that provide protection after birth [2] - Recent research challenges the traditional view of the fetal immune system as being in a state of relative inactivity, revealing that fetal immune cells, particularly T cells, possess functional pre-activation and immune response capabilities [3][4] - The study published in the journal Cell integrates single-cell RNA sequencing data from 321 samples of 15 mid-pregnancy fetuses and 4 adult donors, creating a multi-organ single-cell atlas that compares the immune systems of fetuses and adults [5][11] Research Findings - The research identifies a CD4 T cell subset outside the thymus that mediates the transition of TOX2 precursor cells to mature naive CD4 T cells, indicating widespread memory/activated T cells in mid-pregnancy fetuses [12][15] - The study reveals two tolerance mechanisms that inhibit fetal T cell activation, involving ARG1+ neutrophils and the PTGES3/PTGER4 signaling pathway [12][15] - The immune cell atlas redefines the immune architecture of mid-pregnancy fetuses and adults, showing dynamic cross-organ exchange of tissue-resident memory T cells and extensive hematopoiesis to support immune development [15][18] Implications - The findings provide new insights into the balance between immune activation and tolerance during mid-pregnancy, a critical phase of human development, and highlight the unique developmental pathways of fetal and adult immunity [18]