Work

Macrophages in Allergic Asthma: Fine-Tuning Their Pro- and Anti-Inflammatory Actions for Disease Resolution

Year: 2011

Type: review

Abstract: Macrophages exert prominent effects in the defense of the respiratory tract from airborne pathogens. These cells are specialized to recognize, phagocytose, and destroy these infectious agents and then promote appropriate tissue repair after successful pathogen clearance. For reasons that are not presently clear, macrophages appear to be inappropriately activated during asthma responses. Evidence stems from the appearance of either classically (or M1) and alternatively activated (or M2) cells in the alveolar compartment of asthmatic lung. Macrophages localized in the interstitial area of the lung appear to be less prone to polarization toward either the M1 or M2 phenotype as these cells predominately express interleukin-10 and exhibit immunoregulatory properties. Effective treatment of clinical asthma, regardless of severity, might depend on restoring an appropriate balance between M1, M2, and immunoregulatory macrophages in the lung.

Source: Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research

DOI: 10.1089/jir.2011.0027

Authors: Ana Paula Moreira, Cory M. Hogaboam

Institution: University of Michigan

Language: English

Topic: Asthma and respiratory diseases

Subfield: Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: University of Wisconsin-Madison, National Institutes of Health