REVIEW article
Front. Immunol.
Sec. Inflammation
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1601642
This article is part of the Research TopicImmunological Aspects of Fibrosis Pathogenesis: Novel Mechanisms and Therapeutic StrategiesView all 25 articles
Postoperative adhesion formation: the role of peritoneal macrophages and targeting therapy
Provisionally accepted
- 1Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- 2First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China
- 3Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China
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Postoperative adhesion (PA) is the most common complication of abdominal or pelvic surgery, resulting in various complications, including small bowel obstruction, secondary female infertility, chronic abdominal pain and even death. Unfortunately, there are few effective methods for the prevention and treatment of it. Previous studies confirmed that coagulation response, inflammation, fibrosis and fibrinolysis played a central role in PA formation and a variety of cells, such as monocytes, macrophages, fibroblasts, neutrophils and mesothelial cells participated in this process. Peritoneal macrophages are prominent immune cells that maintain homeostasis and coordinate cavity wound healing in serosal cavities.In this review, we analyze the role of peritoneal macrophages in PA formation. it also presents the latest treatment and prevention strategies targeting peritoneal macrophages. This review focuses to provide an immunological theoretical basis and new target for the prevention and treatment of PA.Peritoneal macrophages recognize sterile or infected injury, initiate repair, form aggregates, and regulate coagulation, inflammation, fibrosis and fibrinolysis in PA formation. Therefore, in the most of existing strategies to prevent PA formation, the biological mechanism is related to the function of peritoneal macrophages. Targeting macrophages to prevent PA formation holds great promise.
Keywords: Postoperative adhesion, peritoneal macrophages, Molecular mechanisms, Serosal repair, Adhesion prevention Within the peritoneal cavity, resident Peritoneal macrophage subpopulations the coagulation reaction
Received: 28 Mar 2025; Accepted: 05 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Liu, Li, Qin and Ma. 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: Pengfei Ma, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan Province, China
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