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REVIEW article

Front. Immunol.
Sec. Inflammation
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1444964

Macrophage polarization and its impact on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Provisionally accepted
  • 1 Department of Respiratory Medicine, Wenzhou People’s Hospital, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
  • 2 Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, China
  • 3 Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
  • 4 Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
  • 5 Wenzhou People’s Hospital, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a lung disease that worsens over time, causing fibrosis in the lungs and ultimately resulting in respiratory failure and a high risk of death. Macrophages play a crucial role in the immune system, showing flexibility by transforming into either pro-inflammatory (M1) or anti-inflammatory (M2) macrophages when exposed to different stimuli, ultimately impacting the development of IPF. Recent research has indicated that the polarization of macrophages is crucial in the onset and progression of IPF. M1 macrophages secrete inflammatory cytokines and agents causing early lung damage and fibrosis, while M2 macrophages support tissue healing and fibrosis by releasing anti-inflammatory cytokines. Developing novel treatments for IPF relies on a thorough comprehension of the processes involved in macrophage polarization in IPF. The review outlines the regulation of macrophage polarization and its impact on the development of IPF, with the goal of investigating the possible therapeutic benefits of macrophage polarization in the advancement of IPF.

    Keywords: Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, Macrophage polarization, M1 macrophages, M2 macrophages, Fibrosis, Inflammation

    Received: 06 Jun 2024; Accepted: 12 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Ge, Chen, Ma, Hu and Xie. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Lubin Xie, Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.