Immunological Aspects of Preterm Birth: Phenotypes of Preterm Birth, Immune Mechanisms, and Pathway Forward bridges reproductive immunology of preterm birth to subtypes, phenotypes, and bedside prevention and treatment. The book reviews the role of the different immune mechanisms during pregnancy that lead to preterm birth, along with the fetal programming effects that are connected to maternal immune activation. In addition, it discusses immune cells and their products and cytokines and chemokines as central for the success of the pregnancy. While our knowledge on the role of immune cells and the inflammatory process in preterm birth has grown exponentially in the last 10 years, connecting basic science to clinical science and the development of new therapeutics has not progressed as rapidly. This book assists researchers in understanding the basic immunologic mechanisms and inflammatory processes associated with preterm birth and fills an urgent need for the development of therapeutics in this space.
Table of Contents
1. Preterm labor, preterm birth and prematurity: Molecular and clinical phenotypes2. Screening, diagnosis and therapeutic approaches to preterm labor
3. Potential use of biomarkers as therapeutic targets of immunotherapy in preterm birth
4. Fetal and placental inflammation in preterm birth
5. Innate Immunity: the role of macrophages and beyond
6. The role of T cells and other adaptive immune mediators in preterm birth
7. Spontaneous preterm birth: Immunoperinatology perspective
8. Fetal pathophysiological changes in preterm birth
9. Vaginal microbiome and preterm birth
10. Viral infections and preterm birth
11. Environment-immune interactions and epigenetics in preterm birth
12. Special considerations: Pregnancy and organ transplantation
13. Placenta: Window into neonatal health
14. Neonatal outcomes following preterm birth
15. Spontaneous preterm birth: Current therapies and opportunities for the future
16. Pathway forward
