Marijke Faas

Background

About Marijke Faas

My research line focusses on Pregnancy immunology; how does pregnancy influence the immune response and how does the immune response influence pregnancy. The acceptance of the semiallogeneic fetus depends on the adaptations in the maternal immune response to pregnancy. Adaptations in the maternal immune response involve a shift from the cellular immune response towards a humoral immune response, an increase in regulatory T cells and a generalized activated innate immune response. Maladaptation of the maternal immune response to pregnancy usually results in pregnancy-complications, such as preeclampsia or fetal growth restriction. In the immunoendocrinology section we study how the maternal immune response adapts to pregnancy and which pregnancy factors induce these adaptations in both human and animal models. Many factors may be involved, such as hormones and other factors produced by the placenta or the ovaries. Moreover, we also study how maladaptations of the immune response or activation of the immune response influences pregnancies and induce pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia. Since reproductive hormones, such as oestrogen and progesterone have been shown to be important in the regulation of the immune response during pregnancy, it is also important to study the effect of these hormones on the immune response in various reproductive condition, apart from pregnancy. Therefore we also focus on the effect of the reproductive condition on immune response, we for instance study gender differences in immune responses, but also differences in immune responses within the female menstrual cycle.