Macrophages are mononuclear phagocytic cells of the innate immune system that engulf and degrade pathogens, apoptotic cells, and debris, present antigen, and orchestrate inflammation and tissue repair. Derived from circulating monocytes and from embryonically seeded tissue-resident populations such as alveolar macro…
Macrophages are mononuclear phagocytic cells of the innate immune system that engulf and degrade pathogens, apoptotic cells, and debris, present antigen, and orchestrate inflammation and tissue repair. Derived from circulating monocytes and from embryonically seeded tissue-resident populations such as alveolar macrophages, they reside throughout the body and adapt their phenotype to local signals along a spectrum often summarised as classically activated, pro-inflammatory states and alternatively activated, reparative states. Through phagocytosis, antimicrobial effector functions, and the secretion of cytokines and chemokines, macrophages initiate and resolve inflammatory responses and link innate to adaptive immunity. Dysregulated macrophage activation contributes to chronic inflammation, infection-related pathology, metabolic disease through adipose tissue inflammation, and conditions such as macrophage activation syndrome. Research relevant to this area spans the alveolar macrophage proteome and surfactant protein biology, inflammatory infiltrates in tumours, macrophage activation manifesting in the liver after vaccination, changes in bronchoalveolar lavage cellular morphology in pneumonia, immune modulation in viral infection, and the role of macrophages in adipose tissue physiology and obesity. The International Journal of Inflammation Research publishes peer-reviewed work on macrophage biology and its contribution to inflammatory and immune-mediated disease.
12 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 12 articles above have been cited 49 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Macrophages, linking to each citing work.