Cardiac macrophage (CM)

Cardiac macrophages are a heterogeneous population of immune cells resident within the myocardium that are essential for maintaining heart health and responding to injury (Nature Reviews Cardiology, 2019). They consist of two primary lineages: embryo-derived resident macrophages (typically CCR2-) that facilitate tissue repair and electrical conduction, and monocyte-derived macrophages (typically CCR2+) that accumulate during inflammation and contribute to tissue damage (Circulation Research, 2018). In the context of cardiovascular diseases such as myocardial infarction and heart failure, these cells undergo significant phenotypic shifts that can either exacerbate damage or promote healing (JACC: Basic to Translational Science, 2016). Therapeutic strategies aim to modulate these populations using drugs like CCR2 inhibitors or SGLT2 inhibitors to reduce adverse remodeling and suppress chronic inflammation (PubMed, 2021). While not a single molecular target, cardiac macrophages represent a critical cellular target for immunomodulatory therapies in cardiology. Understanding the balance between these subsets is crucial for developing targeted treatments that preserve the heart's structural and functional integrity.

Other names

Heart-resident macrophageMyocardial macrophageCCR2-negative macrophageCCR2-positive macrophageYolk sac-derived cardiac macrophageMonocyte-derived cardiac macrophage

Modulation of macrophage polarization from pro-inflammatory (M1-like) to anti-inflammatory (M2-like) phenotypes, inhibition of monocyte recruitment via CCR2 antagonism, and suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokine release.