摘要篇首： Since discovery and cloning of the non-classical human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class Ⅰ antigen HLA-G by Geraghty et al1 in 1987, a large number of studies have been carried out. HLA-G has a low polymorphism, limited distribution to normal tissues and seven isoforms resulting from its primary mRNA alternative splicing.2 HLA-G expression was first found on the extravillous cytotrophoblasts, at the fetal-maternal interface during normal pregnancy, which lacks the expression of HLA-A, -B and HLA Ⅱ antigens. Initial studies on HLA-G mainly addressed its function in fetal-maternal immunotolerance.3 Two decades later,HLA-G is now considered to be a very important immune molecule which plays a vital immune inhibitory role in the context of reproduction, oncology, transplantation,infection and also in autoimmune disease.4 A number of Chinese research teams are interested in, and have contributed to, the publication of more than 80 peer-reviewed articles and reviews on HLA-G over the past ten years. We summarize the key points in this field that were presented and discussed by them.