Role of T cell immunoglobulin domain and mucin domain-3 and galectin-9 pathway in maintaining pregnancy immune tolerance / 中华围产医学杂志

Galectin-9 (Gal-9) is a member of the lectin family expressed in NK cells, dendritic cells, macrophages, T helper cells, regulatory T cells, etc. T cell immunoglobulin domain and mucin domain-3 (Tim-3) interact with ligand Gal-9 mediating different immune regulatory effects in different immune cells. This Tim-3/Gal-9 pathway is associated with various conditions, such as autoimmune diseases, tumors, virus infections, and pregnancy-related diseases. This paper reviews the role of the Tim-3/Gal-9 pathway in maintaining immune tolerance in pregnancy by regulating innate and adaptive immune responses and its potential as a new target for immunotherapy in pregnancy-related diseases.