TAM receptors in pregnancy

Inflammation is an important part of human response to pathogen to recruit immune cells and remove infected or damaged cells from the system. However, immune response should be fine tuned as uncontrolled proinflammatory response leads to extensive tissue damage and organ failure. Immune homeostasis at the maternal-fetal interface is crucial in the maintenance of healthy pregnancy. TAM receptor tyrosine kinase is known to be present in immune, nervous, and reproductive systems and has been reported to have biological function in the immunological aspect including cell debris clearance, cytokine secretion modulation, and regulation of innate immunity. The presence of TAM receptors at the maternal-fetal interface has been reported and its role in pregnancy has been in question. In the present review, functional aspects of TAM receptors, clinical implications in other diseases in an immunological context, and what is known about association of TAM receptors in complicated pregnancy are discussed with suggestion of potential area of future research.