Baby protection protein found, as reported in Nature, vol. 436, p444, 28 July 2005. During pregnancy a mother’s immune system must not react to “foreign” proteins which the unborn foetus makes from genes it inherited from its father. A team of scientists led by Indira Guleria of Harvard Medical School have now shown that decreased levels of a protein named PDL1 in the placenta increases the risk of foetal rejection. PDL1 protein is known to be found in high levels in the human placenta during normal pregnancy.
Editorial Comment: This study reminds us that a developing foetus is a separate individual to the mother, even though it relies on her for nourishment and protection. Therefore, the “choice” claimed by the pro-abortion lobby is not just about one person’s life. All human beings at all stages of life are unique individuals, created in the image of God, and should not be disposed of as unwanted tissue. It also means that a single cell that simply divides to reproduce (evolving into separate sexes that must have complex protein countermeasures to prevent the mother destroying the developing baby), is impossible (Ref. pregnancy, foetus, abortion)