The second trimester of pregnancy is traditionally viewed as an immunosuppressive state. Megli et al. (https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20200649) change this paradigm, showing that midgestation induces inflammasome signaling in placental trophoblasts to promote fetal and maternal antimicrobial defense. The placenta is thus a dynamic immunological organ.
© 2020 Burgener and Schroder.