Intestinal macrophage

Intestinal macrophages are specialized tissue-resident immune cells of the mononuclear phagocyte lineage found predominantly in the gut lamina propria, submucosa, and muscularis externa. They constitute the most abundant population of macrophages in the body and are critical for the maintenance of gut homeostasis. Their main functions include phagocytosis of pathogens and apoptotic cells, immune regulation, limiting inflammation, promoting wound healing, and facilitating crosstalk between immune, epithelial, neuronal, and vascular cells in the gastrointestinal tract. They differ from conventional macrophages in other tissues by their strong anti-inflammatory phenotype, ability to tolerate commensal bacteria, and niche-specific functional specialization. Aberrant macrophage responses are implicated in diseases such as IBD and other inflammatory or infectious diseases of the gut. However, “intestinal macrophage” is not a molecular target or receptor, but rather a physiological population of immune cells described by surface markers and location, and cannot be directly targeted in the way individual proteins or receptors are in drug development.

Other names

Gut macrophageLamina propria macrophageIntestinal tissue-resident macrophage