The Cell with Many Faces: Lung Macrophage Plasticity and Function in Response to Environmental and Pathogenic Insults - PubMed
3 hours ago
- #lung macrophages
- #pulmonary disease
- #immune plasticity
- Alveolar macrophages (AM) are key immune sentinels in the lung, maintaining homeostasis and responding to inhaled particles and pathogens.
- AM exhibit plasticity, shifting between pro-inflammatory (M1) and anti-inflammatory/reparative (M2) phenotypes based on local signals from environmental agents and pathogens.
- Environmental and pathogenic insults disrupt AM functions like phagocytosis and cytokine production, leading to oxidative stress, inflammasome activation, and programmed cell death.
- These responses can eliminate threats but may also perpetuate inflammation, causing tissue remodeling and fibrosis, contributing to chronic lung diseases such as COPD and post-COVID interstitial lung disease.
- Exposures modify AM by altering receptor repertoires, signaling cascades, and interactions with epithelial and mesenchymal cells, influencing disease progression.
- Understanding how environmental agents and pathogens shape AM biology is crucial for tackling lung diseases like COPD, pneumoconiosis, and COVID-19 sequelae.