Visual Systems Group, Divisions of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA.
Trends Mol Med. 2011 Dec;17(12):743-52. doi: 10.1016/j.molmed.2011.07.009. Epub 2011 Sep 2.
Over the past decade, modern genetic tools have permitted scientists to study the function of myeloid lineage cells, including macrophages, as never before. Macrophages were first detected more than a century ago as cells that ingested bacteria and other microbes, but it is now known that their functional roles are far more numerous. In this review, we focus on the prevailing functions of macrophages beyond their role in innate immunity. We highlight examples of macrophages acting as regulators of development, tissue homoeostasis, remodeling (the reorganization or renovation of existing tissues) and repair. We also detail how modern genetic tools have facilitated new insights into these mysterious cells.
在过去的十年中，现代遗传工具使科学家能够前所未有地研究髓系细胞（包括巨噬细胞）的功能。巨噬细胞早在一个多世纪前就被发现是吞噬细菌和其他微生物的细胞，但现在人们已经知道，它们的功能角色要多得多。在这篇综述中，我们重点介绍了巨噬细胞在先天免疫以外的作用。我们强调了巨噬细胞作为发育、组织内稳态、重塑（现有组织的重新组织或翻新）和修复的调节剂的作用的例子。我们还详细介绍了现代遗传工具如何为这些神秘细胞提供新的见解。
