A ‘window’ into the female immune system

Contemporary OB/GYN - Quotes Charles Wira, professor of physiology and neurobiology and lead author of a study which found that hormonal changes during a woman's menstrual cycle open a "window of vulnerability:" a time period during which the female reproductive tract is more susceptible to sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Their study may one day lead to better prevention of STIs and better understanding of the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases and cancer progression. "We arrived at the hypothesis of a 'window of vulnerability' following extensive studies over many years that led to the conclusion that each site in the reproductive tract is separate and distinct in terms of immune protection, that each is hormonally controlled, and that changes in immune function at each site parallel the role of each site in successful reproduction," says Wira.