Review article

The emerging roles of intestinal macrophages in sickness and in health

MAJA KRISTEK ; Immunomodulation Research Group, School of Biotechnology Dublin City University, Dublin 9, Ireland
CHRISTINE E. LOSCHER ; Immunomodulation Research Group, School of Biotechnology Dublin City University, Dublin 9, Ireland

Abstract

The immune system in the intestine represents a unique environment that can quickly respond to harmful pathogens, but it remains tolerant to antigens from food and commensal bacteria. This balance between protective immunity and tolerance is largely dependent on the mononuclear phagocytes in the intestine, such as macrophages. Intestinal macrophages, unlike other macrophage populations in the body, are hypo-responsive to stimuli although they originate from fully responsive blood monocytes. The intestinal environment seems to instruct monocytes to mute their function upon arrival to the
gut in order to adapt to the antigen-rich environment. While their main
role in the healthy gut is to maintain homeostasis, in disease macrophage phenotype and function is changed and these cells become the drivers of inflammation and disease progression.

Keywords

intestinal macrophages; intestinal immune system; homeostasis; IBD

Hrčak ID:

126349

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/126349

Publication date:

31.7.2014.

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