19
June
2017
|
23:28
Asia/Singapore

Study: Fetuses develop their own immune systems

A study by a team of researchers from various institutions, including NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and Duke-NUS Medical School, found that a fetus’s immune system is developed as early as the second trimester of pregnancy, and may be able to initiate immune responses independently of a mother’s immune system. The scientists also discovered that an unborn baby’s immune system contains a unique mechanism to prevent rejection of the mother’s cells, even as it develops independently.