Maternal immunity not all good for a foetus

As a foetus does not mount an immune response to maternal proteins that cross the placenta, it has been assumed that a foetus would not reject non - genetically matched blood cells (specifically allogeneic blood cells) if they were transplanted while the foetus was in utero. The hope is that this procedure, which is known as IUHCT, could provide a viable approach for treating congenital blood disorders. However, studies using a mouse model of IUHCT indicate that most foetal recipients of allogeneic blood cells lose their transplanted cells 3-5 weeks after transplantation...

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