Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology, IFOM-IEO Campus, Via Adamello, Milan, Italy.
Eur J Immunol. 2011 Sep;41(9):2486-90. doi: 10.1002/eji.201141706.
The key driving force underlying cell identity is represented by the complex and dynamic interplay between cell-intrinsic, lineage-restricted developmental pathways on the one hand, and cell-extrinsic, tissue-specific microenvironmental signals on the other. In this context, macrophages are a paradigmatic cell population whose functional specialization in vivo reflects the impact of the local microenvironment on the intrinsic differentiation program, leading to a variety of specialized macrophage types in different tissues and conditions; however, how this is translated into a biological outcome is not appreciably understood. The kind of investigations described in this Viewpoint aim to explore the inner determinants of cell identity and functional diversification at a genomic level; mechanisms that permit plastic cell types, like macrophages, to adapt to different environments.
细胞特性的关键驱动因素体现在细胞内在的、谱系限制的发育途径与细胞外在的、组织特异性的微环境信号之间的复杂和动态相互作用上。在这种情况下，巨噬细胞是一个典型的细胞群体，其体内的功能特化反映了局部微环境对内在分化程序的影响，导致不同组织和条件下存在多种特化的巨噬细胞类型；然而，这种影响如何转化为生物学结果还不太清楚。本观点中描述的研究旨在从基因组水平上探索细胞特性和功能多样化的内在决定因素；这些机制使像巨噬细胞这样的可塑性细胞类型能够适应不同的环境。
