The aims of my research are to examine the mechanisms that play a
role in fetal maternal tolerance in marsupials, using the South American
opossum (Monodelphis domestica) and the northern brown bandicoot
(Isoodon macrourus) as model species. Mechanisms that have
been identified as being important for the maintenance of pregnancy
in eutherian mammals, including the expression of MHC, IL-10 and FasL
as well as T cell and NK cell activity will be examined in these two
species. A comparison between the opossum and the bandicoot, two species
with similar gestation periods but different levels of placentation
should provide some interesting insights into the maintenance of fetal
maternal tolerance in mammals
