Chen Zhiyu, Gao Fei
Department of Emergency, The Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi People's Hospital, Wuxi Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi 214023, China.
Biomolecules. 2025 Aug 24;15(9):1220. doi: 10.3390/biom15091220.
Macrophage extracellular traps (METs), which are extracellular immune structures released by macrophages, consist primarily of double-stranded DNA, histones, elastase, matrix metalloproteinase, myeloperoxidase, and other components. Recent studies have found that various pathogens (such as bacteria, fungi, and parasites) and environmental pollutants could induce the formation of METs through different mechanisms to help the host resist infection. However, accumulating evidence suggests that METs play a double-edged role in immune response, enhancing host defense while potentially contributing to tissue damage under certain pathological conditions. This review summarizes the mechanisms underlying the formation of METs, including different pathways triggered by various pathogens and environmental pollutants. We also discussed the role of METs in respiratory diseases, autoimmune diseases, metabolic diseases, tumors, and transplantation and injury, as well as recent advances in MET-targeted drugs, aiming to provide new insights for improving treatment strategies of relevant diseases.
巨噬细胞胞外陷阱（METs）是巨噬细胞释放的胞外免疫结构，主要由双链DNA、组蛋白、弹性蛋白酶、基质金属蛋白酶、髓过氧化物酶和其他成分组成。最近的研究发现，各种病原体（如细菌、真菌和寄生虫）和环境污染物可通过不同机制诱导METs形成，以帮助宿主抵抗感染。然而，越来越多的证据表明，METs在免疫反应中发挥着双刃剑作用，在增强宿主防御的同时，在某些病理条件下可能导致组织损伤。本文综述了METs形成的潜在机制，包括各种病原体和环境污染物触发的不同途径。我们还讨论了METs在呼吸系统疾病、自身免疫性疾病、代谢性疾病、肿瘤、移植和损伤中的作用，以及MET靶向药物的最新进展，旨在为改进相关疾病的治疗策略提供新的见解。
