Exploiting the significance of uterine natural killer cells in pregnancy

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Pregnancy is a complex physiological phenomenon involving maternal-fetal communication.Uterine natural killer (uNK) cells established a profound lymphocyte population in the early pregnant uterus.These cells are closely linked with extravillous trophoblast (EVT) and spiral arteries and play a vital role in remodeling spiral arteries, trophoblast invasion and placental development.The uNK cells are the potent releasers of cytokines and growth factors; with close association to EVTs in the maternal-fetal interface, it drives an essential function in the trophoblast.At present, limited studies are available explaining the significance of uNK cells in normal pregnancy and pregnancy-associated problems.This review article elucidates the descriptive role of uNK cells in pregnancy problems and their crosstalk with other immune cell components.Moreover, we will also discuss whether uNK cells become a threat to pregnancy with clinical evidence.