Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2021 Jul;110(1):107-114.
doi: 10.1002/JLB.3RU0720-418R. Epub 2020 Nov 6.

Alveolar and lung interstitial macrophages: Definitions, functions, and roles in lung fibrosis

Ting Shi  1 , Laura Denney  2 , Huazhang An  3 , Ling-Pei Ho  2 , Yuejuan Zheng  1   4
Affiliations
Review

Alveolar and lung interstitial macrophages: Definitions, functions, and roles in lung fibrosis

Ting Shi et al. J Leukoc Biol. 2021 Jul.

Abstract

Mϕs are the main innate immune cells in the lung at homeostasis, with important roles in host defence and immune modulation. Alveolar Mϕs (AMs) and interstitial Mϕs (IMs) are the two lung Mϕ subsets, so called according to the sites they reside in. These subsets are also defined by their origins and immunological microenvironment, which endow these cells with distinct features and plasticity. This review summarizes the latest definitions and functions of lung Mϕs during homeostasis and provides exemplar of their divergent roles in lung fibrosis.

Keywords: Mϕs; asthma; fibrosis; lung.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

REFERENCES

    1. Byrne AJ, Mathie SA, Gregory LK, Lloyd CM. Pulmonary macrophages: key players in the innate defence of the airways. Thorax. 2015;70:1189-1196.
    1. Bedoret D, Wallemacq H, Marichal T, et al. Lung interstitial macrophages alter dendritic cell functions to prevent airway allergy in mice. J Clin Invest. 2009;119:3723-3738.
    1. Guilliams M, De Kleer I, Henri S, et al. Alveolar macrophages develop from fetal monocytes that differentiate into long-lived cells in the first week of life via GM-CSF. J Exp Med. 2013;210:1977-1992.
    1. Hashimoto D, Chow A, Noizat C, et al. Tissue-resident macrophages self-maintain locally throughout adult life with minimal contribution from circulating monocytes. Immunity. 2013;38:792-804.
    1. Yona S, Kim KW, Wolf Y, et al. Fate mapping reveals origins and dynamics of monocytes and tissue macrophages under homeostasis. Immunity. 2013;38:79-91.

Publication types