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Researchers at Imperial College London found that a group of immune cells in the womb, called decidual macrophages, becomes more numerous during labour. The early-stage research may help explain how labour starts, but it has not produced a test or treatment to prevent premature birth.
Researchers at Imperial College London have found that specialised immune cells in the womb lining become more numerous during labour, a finding that may help explain how labour begins and inform future research into premature birth. The team says the work is preliminary: it does not establish that the cells cause labour or provide a treatment to stop it.
The research, led by Dr Victoria Male, examined samples from more than 50 women. The scientists focused on decidual macrophages, immune cells found in the lining of the womb during pregnancy. The reported findings show that their numbers increase during labour, with early observations suggesting that they may begin to build up before labour starts.
The team is investigating whether the cells contribute to labour by promoting inflammation and producing proteins that help break the membranes surrounding the baby. This is a proposed role, not a confirmed causal mechanism. Researchers have also developed a laboratory model to study the relevant processes in more detail.
The work is part of a wider investigation into immune cells and pregnancy. Male’s team is also studying uterine natural killer cells, known as uNK1 cells, which are thought to help the placenta implant and develop. Researchers have found distinctive protein-filled granules in these cells and are working to identify the proteins and determine what they do.
How Cell Research Could Shape Care
Understanding how labour begins could give researchers new biological targets to investigate in efforts to prevent spontaneous premature birth. If later studies establish that particular cells or the molecules they produce contribute to labour, those processes could be explored as potential targets for treatment. The present findings do not show that targeting these cells would be safe or effective.
The related placental research could also matter for pregnancies at risk of placental insufficiency, when the placenta does not provide adequate support for a baby’s growth. The researchers say that better knowledge of uNK1 cells might eventually contribute to screening that identifies risk before or early in pregnancy. Any such test remains a possible future outcome, not a tool currently shown to be available.
Premature birth can have serious consequences for babies and families. The report cites it as a leading cause of death among children under five globally, and says surviving babies can face health and developmental challenges. Those stakes help explain the value of research into labour and placental development, while the early stage of this study means its clinical effect is not yet known.
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Two Immune Cell Lines of Inquiry
The research focuses on two distinct cell groups and questions. Decidual macrophages are being studied for a possible role in the processes that lead to labour. Uterine natural killer cells are being investigated for their possible contribution to placental implantation and development. The report does not establish that the two findings are part of one mechanism.
The work received funding from Borne and Action Medical Research. The charities’ partnership began in 2016 and, according to the report, has invested more than £2.1 million in 11 research projects across seven UK research institutions and hospitals. The latest announcement comes ahead of World Prematurity Day on November 15, 2026, and the charities’ Every Week Counts campaign.
Male said that scientists still do not understand how labour is triggered, including at full term. That gap is central to the research: before a process can be reliably targeted to prevent early labour, investigators need to establish what happens, when it happens, and how it relates to the start of labour.
““We urgently need effective treatments that can help stop premature labour but a major barrier to this is that we do not yet understand how labour is triggered, even when a pregnancy has reached full-term.””
— Dr Victoria Male, research lead at Imperial College London
What the Findings Do Not Show Yet
The reported increase in decidual macrophages during labour does not prove that the cells initiate labour. It is not clear from the available findings exactly when their numbers begin to rise, whether the pattern applies across different pregnancies, or how strongly it relates to spontaneous premature birth. The study examined samples from more than 50 women, but further research is needed to test and extend the observations.
The team has not reported a treatment, screening test, or timetable for clinical use. Researchers still need to identify and test the proteins involved, establish how the cells behave in the laboratory model, and determine whether any findings can be translated safely to care. The uNK1 granules’ proteins and their effects on placental development are also still being investigated.
It is also unclear whether future work will lead to prevention strategies, earlier monitoring, or both. The possibility of a test for placental insufficiency is a longer-term research aim described by the team, not a confirmed outcome of this study.
Laboratory Studies and Further Evidence
The immediate next step is further study of the cells and their products using the team’s laboratory model. Researchers will need to establish what the relevant proteins do and whether changes in cell activity are linked to labour rather than simply occurring alongside it.
For the placental work, the team is identifying proteins in uNK1 cell granules and investigating how they affect implantation and development. Any screening approach would require additional evidence that it can identify risk accurately and that using it would help guide care.
The charities’ campaign is due to run ahead of World Prematurity Day on November 15, 2026. No clinical milestone or date for a potential test or treatment was provided in the source report. For now, the findings add early biological clues, while practical ways to predict or prevent premature birth remain unestablished.
Key Questions
What did the researchers find?
The Imperial College London team reported that decidual macrophages, immune cells in the womb lining, increase in number during labour. Early observations suggest they may start building up beforehand, but that needs further investigation.
Does this mean premature birth can now be prevented?
No. The findings are early-stage research and do not establish that these cells cause labour or show that changing their activity could prevent premature birth. No treatment was reported.
What are researchers studying about the placenta?
The team is examining uNK1 cells, which are thought to help the placenta implant and develop. Researchers have found protein-filled granules in these cells and are working to identify their contents and effects.
Could the research lead to a screening test?
The researchers say the placental work could eventually inform a test to identify people at risk of placental insufficiency before or early in pregnancy. That remains a long-term possibility; no such test was presented as available.
What happens next in the research?
The team plans to use its laboratory model to study the processes in more detail, while continuing to investigate proteins from uNK1 cells. Further evidence will be needed before the findings can support clinical tests or treatments.
Source: madeformums.com
