Macrophages and B cells

Macrophages and B cells represent two major classes of leukocytes essential for innate and adaptive immunity, respectively. Macrophages are professional phagocytes that clear debris and pathogens while orchestrating inflammatory responses through cytokine release and antigen presentation (StatPearls, 2023). B cells, or B lymphocytes, are responsible for humoral immunity via the production of antigen-specific antibodies and also function as critical antigen-presenting cells for T cell activation (NIH, 2022). In clinical pharmacology, these cell populations are not considered single molecular targets; instead, specific proteins expressed on their surfaces, such as CD20 on B cells or CSF1R on macrophages, serve as the actual therapeutic targets. Therapeutic modulation of these cells is a cornerstone in treating B-cell malignancies, autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis, and various chronic inflammatory conditions, though such interventions often carry risks of systemic immunosuppression (PubMed, 2021).

Other names

B lymphocytesMonocyte-derived macrophagesProfessional antigen-presenting cellsImmune cell populations

Drugs targeting these cell populations typically act by depleting the cells via antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), inhibiting their proliferation, or modulating their activation and recruitment through specific surface receptors like CD20 or CSF1R.