Two Faces of Macrophages: Training and Tolerance

Abstract

Macrophages are present in almost all body tissues. They detect and quickly respond to “environmental signals” in the tissue. Macrophages have been associated with numerous beneficial roles, such as host defense, wound healing, and tissue regeneration; however, they have also been linked to the development of diverse illnesses, particularly cancers and autoimmune disorders. Complex signaling, epigenetic, and metabolic pathways drive macrophage training and tolerance. The induced intracellular program differs depending on the type of initial stimuli and the tissue microenvironment. Due to the essential roles of macrophages in homeostatic and their association with the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases, recent studies have investigated the molecular mechanisms of macrophage training and tolerance. This review discusses the role of factors involved in macrophage training and tolerance, along with the current studies in human diseases.

Keywords

• macrophages
• innate immune memory
• trained immunity
• tolerance
• epigenetics
• inflammatory diseases