Work

Cigarette Smoking-Mediated Macrophage Reprogramming: Mechanistic Insights and Therapeutic Implications.

Year: 2018

Type: article

Abstract: Macrophages, the mature form of the monocytes, play a significant role in tissue homeostasis and immunity. In response to environmental cues, they can undergo classical or alternative activation, polarizing into specialized functional subsets. A common hallmark of the pathologic environment is represented by cigarette smoking. Although the contribution of cigarette smoke to various cellular processes has been extensively studied, its roles in macrophage polarization have been conflicting. This review discusses the molecular and functional differences of cigarette smoke-exposed macrophages that exist between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory states. We also highlight the most recent advances in therapeutic potential of targeting signaling molecules associated with smoking to modulate macrophage plasticity and polarized activation.

Source: PubMed

Authors: David C Yang, Ching-Hsien Chen

Institutions: University of California, Davis, UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center

Language: English

Topic: Immune cells in cancer

Subfield: Immunology

Field: Immunology and Microbiology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Awards: Regulation of Airway Mucin Gene Expression by Epigenetic Mechanism, Training in Comparative Lung Biology and Medicine