Cited by 1,762Immune cells in cancerPhagocytosis and Immune RegulationCardiac Fibrosis and Remodeling

Understanding the Mysterious M2 Macrophage through Activation Markers and Effector Mechanisms

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Rőszer, Tamás·2015·Mediators of Inflammation

Abstract

The alternatively activated or M2 macrophages are immune cells with high phenotypic heterogeneity and are governing functions at the interface of immunity, tissue homeostasis, metabolism, and endocrine signaling. Today the M2 macrophages are identified based on the expression pattern of a set of M2 markers. These markers are transmembrane glycoproteins, scavenger receptors, enzymes, growth factors, hormones, cytokines, and cytokine receptors with diverse and often yet unexplored functions. This review discusses whether these M2 markers can be reliably used to identify M2 macrophages and define their functional subdivisions. Also, it provides an update on the novel signals of the tissue environment and the neuroendocrine system which shape the M2 activation. The possible evolutionary roots of the M2 macrophage functions are also discussed.

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Crossref · 10.1155/2015/816460

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  • The appearance of anti-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-10, IL-4 or IL-13, promotes the M2 phenotype, which is coordinated by the STAT-6 transcription factor.

    “In turn, the appearance of anti-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-10, IL-4 or IL-13, promotes the M2 phenotype, which is coordinated by the STAT-6 transcription factor [192,193,194].”

    From MicroRNAs as Regulators of Phagocytosis (2022) · cites this paper as [193]

    Section 2 identifies IL-4 and IL-13 as M2a-inducing stimuli and includes IL-10 in an M2 activation classification. Section 5 refers to an IL-4 receptor/STAT6 pathway, but also says other signals can promote M2 activation independently of it. The source therefore does not support STAT6 as coordinating the M2 phenotype induced by all three listed cytokines. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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Authors
Rőszer, T.
Affiliations
Universität Ulm (DE)
Corresponding author
Rőszer, Tamás
Venue
Mediators of Inflammation
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2015-01
Volume
2015
Issue
1
Pages
816460-816460
ISSN
  • 0962-9351 (ISSN-L)
  • 1466-1861
OpenAlex
W1518095394
Cited by
1,762
References
209
Citations by year
2026: 105 · 2025: 169 · 2024: 198 · 2023: 189 · 2022: 214 · 2021: 215 · 2020: 203 · 2019: 150 · 2018: 143 · 2017: 109 · 2016: 58 · 2015: 9
FWCI
10.01
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Mediators of Inflammation (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
Universität Ulm
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Immune cells in cancer
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Phagocytosis and Immune Regulation
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Cardiac Fibrosis and Remodeling
Keywords
M2 macrophages, scavenger receptors, tissue microenvironment, tissue homeostasis, hormone signaling
MeSH terms
Humans, Macrophage Activation, Macrophages, Neurosecretory Systems

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