macrophage

Also known as Mφ, macrophages

Macrophages (; abbreviated Mφ, MΦ or MP) are a type of white blood cell of the innate immune system that engulf and digest pathogens, such as cancer cells, microbes, cellular debris and foreign substances, which do not have proteins that are specific to healthy body cells on their surface. This self-protection method can be contrasted with that employed by Natural Killer cells. This process of engulfment and digestion is called phagocytosis; it acts to defend the host against infection and injury.

AI overview

Macrophages are white blood cells that act as cleanup crews in your immune system, engulfing and digesting harmful invaders like bacteria, cancer cells, and debris that don't belong in your body. This process, called phagocytosis, is crucial for protecting you against infections and injuries.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Cell.Name: Macrophage
Cell.Latin: macrophagocytus
Cell.Image: Cytology of a macrophage.png
Cell.Caption: Cytology of a macrophage with typical features. Wright stain.
Cell.System: Immune system
Cell.Function: Phagocytosis
Cell.Pronunciation: /ˈmakrə(ʊ)feɪdʒ/
Cell.Acronym: Mφ, MΦ

via Wikipedia infobox

Research

453,837 papers

Mycobacterium tuberculosis-macrophage interaction: Molecular updates.ReviewFrontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2023Bo H, Moure UAE, Yang Y et al.DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1062963
An optimized flow cytometry panel for classifying macrophage polarization.Journal of immunological methods · 2022Liu L, Stokes JV, Tan W et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2022.113378
S100A4 enhances protumor macrophage polarization by control of PPAR-γ-dependent induction of fatty acid oxidation.Journal for immunotherapy of cancer · 2021Liu S, Zhang H, Li Y et al.DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-002548
Functional Hallmarks of Healthy Macrophage Responses: Their Regulatory Basis and Disease Relevance.ReviewAnnual review of immunology · 2022Sheu KM, Hoffmann ADOI: 10.1146/annurev-immunol-101320-031555
The regulatory landscape of macrophage interferon signaling in inflammation.ReviewThe Journal of allergy and clinical immunology · 2023Siebeler R, de Winther MPJ, Hoeksema MADOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2023.04.022
Macrophage ILF3 promotes abdominal aortic aneurysm by inducing inflammatory imbalance in male mice.Nature communications · 2024Wang ZY, Cheng J, Wang Y et al.DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51030-4
The gut microbial metabolite trimethylamine N-oxide aggravates GVHD by inducing M1 macrophage polarization in mice.Blood · 2020Wu K, Yuan Y, Yu H et al.DOI: 10.1182/blood.2019003990
CXCR4-dependent macrophage-to-fibroblast signaling contributes to cardiac diastolic dysfunction in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.International journal of biological sciences · 2022Zhang N, Ma Q, You Y et al.DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.65802

via PubMed

Wikidata facts

Image: Giemsa Stain Macrophage Illustration.png

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Commons category: Macrophages

Sources (5)

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~40 min read

Article

40 sections

Contents

Structure
Types
Development
Function
Phagocytosis
Role in innate immune response
Phagocytosis of pathogens
Chemical secretion
Role in adaptive immunity
Interactions with CD4<sup>+</sup> T Helper Cells
Activation
Classical
Alternative
Interactions with CD8<sup>+</sup> cytotoxic t cells
Interactions with B cells
Subtypes
Role in muscle regeneration
Role in wound healing
Role in limb regeneration
Role in iron homeostasis
Role in pigment retainment
Role in tissue homeostasis
Nerve-associated macrophages
Clinical significance
As a host for intracellular pathogens
Tuberculosis
Leishmaniasis
Chikungunya
Others
Heart disease
HIV infection
Cancer
Cancer therapy
Obesity
Intestinal macrophages
Role in disease
Media
History
See also
References

Macrophages are found in essentially all tissues, where they patrol for potential pathogens by amoeboid movement. They take various forms (with various names) throughout the body (e.g., histiocytes, Kupffer cells, alveolar macrophages, microglia, and others), but all are part of the mononuclear phagocyte system. Besides phagocytosis, they play a critical role in nonspecific defense (innate immunity) and also help initiate specific defense mechanisms (adaptive immunity) by recruiting other immune cells such as lymphocytes. For example, they are important as antigen presenters to T cells. In humans, dysfunctional macrophages cause severe diseases such as chronic granulomatous disease that result in frequent infections.