Macrophage activation switching: an asset for the resolution of inflammation

Macrophages play a central role in inflammation and host defence against microorganisms, but they also participate actively in the resolution of inflammation after alternative activation. However, it is not known whether the resolution of inflammation requires alternative activation of new resting monocytes/macrophages or if proinflammatory activated macrophages have the capacity to switch their activation towards anti-inflammation. In order to answer this question, we first characterized differential human macrophage activation phenotypes. We found that CD163 and CD206 exhibited mutually exclusive induction patterns after stimulation by a panel of anti-inflammatory molecules, whereas CCL18 showed a third,…

• SF
  Styrelsen för Internationellt Utvecklingssamarbete
• AN
  Agence Nationale de la Recherche
• FP
  Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale