Tamara Tilburgs investigates how maternal immune cells establish immunetolerance to foreign fetal and placental tissues while maintaining immunity to viral and bacterial infections. She focuses on how fetal extravillous trophoblasts invade maternal tissues in the uterus, where they interact with maternal leucocytes and do not get rejected.
Publications
Salvany-Celades M, van der Zwan A, Benner M, Setrajcic-Dragos V, Bougleux Gomes HA, Iyer V, Norwitz ER, Strominger JL, Tilburgs T. Three Types of Functional Regulatory T Cells Control T Cell Responses at the Human Maternal-Fetal Interface. Cell Rep. 2019 May 28; 27(9):2537-2547.e5. PMID: 31141680
van der Zwan A, Bi K, Norwitz ER, Crespo ÂC, Claas FHJ, Strominger JL, Tilburgs T. Mixed signature of activation and dysfunction allows human decidual CD8+ T cells to provide both tolerance and immunity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018 01 09; 115(2):385-390. PMID: 29259116
Tilburgs T, Meissner TB, Ferreira LMR, Mulder A, Musunuru K, Ye J, Strominger JL. NLRP2 is a suppressor of NF-?B signaling and HLA-C expression in human trophoblasts†,‡. Biol Reprod. 2017 Apr 01; 96(4):831-842. PMID: 28340094
Ferreira LMR, Meissner TB, Tilburgs T, Strominger JL. HLA-G: At the Interface of Maternal-Fetal Tolerance. Trends Immunol. 2017 04; 38(4):272-286. PMID: 28279591
Crespo ÂC, Strominger JL, Tilburgs T. Expression of KIR2DS1 by decidual natural killer cells increases their ability to control placental HCMV infection. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2016 12 27; 113(52):15072-15077. PMID: 27956621
Crespo ÂC, van der Zwan A, Ramalho-Santos J, Strominger JL, Tilburgs T. Cytotoxic potential of decidual NK cells and CD8+ T cells awakened by infections. J Reprod Immunol. 2017 02; 119:85-90. PMID: 27523927
Ferreira LM, Meissner TB, Mikkelsen TS, Mallard W, O’Donnell CW, Tilburgs T, Gomes HA, Camahort R, Sherwood RI, Gifford DK, Rinn JL, Cowan CA, Strominger JL. A distant trophoblast-specific enhancer controls HLA-G expression at the maternal-fetal interface. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2016 May 10; 113(19):5364-9. PMID: 27078102
Tilburgs T, Strominger JL. Decidual endothelium, Notch1 and TGFß, gatekeepers for Treg accumulation at the maternal-fetal interface. Immunol Cell Biol. 2016 05; 94(5):419-20. PMID: 27021427
Tilburgs T, Evans JH, Crespo ÂC, Strominger JL. The HLA-G cycle provides for both NK tolerance and immunity at the maternal-fetal interface. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015 Oct 27; 112(43):13312-7. PMID: 26460007
Tilburgs T, Crespo ÂC, van der Zwan A, Rybalov B, Raj T, Stranger B, Gardner L, Moffett A, Strominger JL. Human HLA-G+ extravillous trophoblasts: Immune-activating cells that interact with decidual leukocytes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015 Jun 09; 112(23):7219-24. PMID: 26015573
Guerin L, Wu V, Houser B, Tilburgs T, de Jong A, Moody DB, Strominger JL. CD1 Antigen Presentation and Autoreactivity in the Pregnant Human Uterus. Am J Reprod Immunol. 2015 Aug; 74(2):126-35. PMID: 25739697
Guo Z, Tilburgs T, Wong B, Strominger JL. Dysfunction of dendritic cells in aged C57BL/6 mice leads to failure of natural killer cell activation and of tumor eradication. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014 Sep 30; 111(39):14199-204. PMID: 25225399
Tilburgs T, Strominger JL. CD8+ effector T cells at the fetal-maternal interface, balancing fetal tolerance and antiviral immunity. Am J Reprod Immunol. 2013 Apr; 69(4):395-407. PMID: 23432707
Ackerman WE, Bulmer JN, Carter AM, Chaillet JR, Chamley L, Chen CP, Chuong EB, Coleman SJ, Collet GP, Croy BA, de Mestre AM, Dickinson H, Ducray J, Enders AC, Fogarty NM, Gauster M, Golos T, Haider S, Heazell AE, Holland OJ, Huppertz B, Husebekk A, John RM, Johnsen GM, Jones CJ, Kalionis B, König J, Lorenzon AR, Moffett A, Moreira de Mello JC, Nuzzo AM, Parham P, Parolini O, Petroff MG, Pidoux G, Ramírez-Pinilla MP, Robinson WP, Rolfo A, Sadovsky Y, Soma H, Southcombe JH, Tilburgs T, Lash GE. IFPA Meeting 2011 workshop report III: Placental immunology; epigenetic and microRNA-dependent gene regulation; comparative placentation; trophoblast differentiation; stem cells. Placenta. 2012 Feb; 33 Suppl:S15-22. PMID: 22154501
Lashley LE, van der Hoorn ML, van der Mast BJ, Tilburgs T, van der Lee N, van der Keur C, van Beelen E, Roelen DL, Claas FH, Scherjon SA. Changes in cytokine production and composition of peripheral blood leukocytes during pregnancy are not associated with a difference in the proliferative immune response to the fetus. Hum Immunol. 2011 Oct; 72(10):805-11. PMID: 21708204
Houser BL, Tilburgs T, Hill J, Nicotra ML, Strominger JL. Two unique human decidual macrophage populations. J Immunol. 2011 Feb 15; 186(4):2633-42. PMID: 21257965
Tilburgs T, Schonkeren D, Eikmans M, Nagtzaam NM, Datema G, Swings GM, Prins F, van Lith JM, van der Mast BJ, Roelen DL, Scherjon SA, Claas FH. Human decidual tissue contains differentiated CD8+ effector-memory T cells with unique properties. J Immunol. 2010 Oct 01; 185(7):4470-7. PMID: 20817873
Tilburgs T, Scherjon SA, Claas FH. Major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-mediated immune regulation of decidual leukocytes at the fetal-maternal interface. J Reprod Immunol. 2010 May; 85(1):58-62. PMID: 20347157
Tilburgs T, Claas FH, Scherjon SA. Elsevier Trophoblast Research Award Lecture: Unique properties of decidual T cells and their role in immune regulation during human pregnancy. Placenta. 2010 Mar; 31 Suppl:S82-6. PMID: 20106522
Tilburgs T, Scherjon SA, van der Mast BJ, Haasnoot GW, Versteeg-V D Voort-Maarschalk M, Roelen DL, van Rood JJ, Claas FH. Fetal-maternal HLA-C mismatch is associated with decidual T cell activation and induction of functional T regulatory cells. J Reprod Immunol. 2009 Nov; 82(2):148-57. PMID: 19631389
Tilburgs T, van der Mast BJ, Nagtzaam NM, Roelen DL, Scherjon SA, Claas FH. Expression of NK cell receptors on decidual T cells in human pregnancy. J Reprod Immunol. 2009 Jun; 80(1-2):22-32. PMID: 19394706
Tilburgs T, Scherjon SA, Roelen DL, Claas FH. Decidual CD8+CD28- T cells express CD103 but not perforin. Hum Immunol. 2009 Feb; 70(2):96-100. PMID: 19150377
Tilburgs T, Roelen DL, van der Mast BJ, de Groot-Swings GM, Kleijburg C, Scherjon SA, Claas FH. Evidence for a selective migration of fetus-specific CD4+CD25bright regulatory T cells from the peripheral blood to the decidua in human pregnancy. J Immunol. 2008 Apr 15; 180(8):5737-45. PMID: 18390759
Repnik U, Tilburgs T, Roelen DL, van der Mast BJ, Kanhai HH, Scherjon S, Claas FH. Comparison of macrophage phenotype between decidua basalis and decidua parietalis by flow cytometry. Placenta. 2008 May; 29(5):405-12. PMID: 18353434
Tilburgs T, Roelen DL, van der Mast BJ, van Schip JJ, Kleijburg C, de Groot-Swings GM, Kanhai HH, Claas FH, Scherjon SA. Differential distribution of CD4(+)CD25(bright) and CD8(+)CD28(-) T-cells in decidua and maternal blood during human pregnancy. Placenta. 2006 Apr; 27 Suppl A:S47-53. PMID: 16442616
Gredmark S, Tilburgs T, Söderberg-Nauclér C. Human cytomegalovirus inhibits cytokine-induced macrophage differentiation. J Virol. 2004 Oct; 78(19):10378-89. PMID: 15367604