Function of chemokines in embryo implantation.

Journal: Placenta
Published Date: Aug 6, 2025

Abstract

Embryo implantation centrally involves the maternal immune system's specific acceptance of the semi-allogeneic embryo. Despite advances in assisted reproduction, implantation failure remains a key bottleneck limiting clinical pregnancy rates, with its mechanisms a significant challenge in reproductive immunology. Recent studies reveal that chemokine-mediated dynamic remodeling of the immune microenvironment is central to maintaining maternal-fetal immune homeostasis. Chemokines direct trophoblast invasion, decidual stromal cell reprogramming, and bidirectional embryo-maternal communication via chemokine-receptor axes, conferring unique "immune privilege" to the embryo. This review synthesizes chemokine networks' roles in critical implantation processes: regulating trophoblast invasion depth, orchestrating immune cell recruitment, and establishing tolerant microenvironments. It also highlights single-cell sequencing, microfluidics, and artificial intelligence in decoding chemokine-mediated regulation, providing a foundation for precision diagnostics and therapies.

Authors

  • Xiaoyan Zheng
    Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China.
  • Dan Zhang
    School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China.
  • Han Yang
    Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
  • Jingwen Zhang
    Department of Communication, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States.
  • Jiajia Liu
    College of Science, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063210, China.
  • Hao Zhu
    State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, Wuhan University of Technology Wuhan 430070 PR China chang@whut.edu.cn suntl@whut.edu.cn.
  • Ran Ji
    Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, People's Republic of China.
  • Yan Jia
    Department of Gastroenterology, the 7Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.
  • Fanrong Liang
    Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 1166, Liutai Avenue, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, 611137, China.
  • Jie Yang
    Key Laboratory of Development and Maternal and Child Diseases of Sichuan Province, Department of Pediatrics, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.

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