Macrophages and other innate immune cells

Macrophages and other innate immune cells, including monocytes, dendritic cells, and granulocytes, serve as the primary responders of the immune system, providing immediate defense against pathogens and maintaining tissue homeostasis (Janeway et al., 2001, Immunobiology). These cells utilize pattern recognition receptors to identify foreign antigens and initiate inflammatory cascades, while also acting as a bridge to the adaptive immune system through antigen presentation (Ginhoux & Jung, 2014, Nature Reviews Immunology). In various diseases, particularly cancer, these cells can be recruited and reprogrammed by the environment to support pathology, such as tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) promoting tumor growth and suppressing T-cell activity (Noy & Pollard, 2014, Immunity). Therapeutic targeting of these cells involves strategies to deplete harmful populations, prevent their recruitment to diseased tissues, or polarize them toward a therapeutic phenotype (Mantovani et al., 2017, Nature Reviews Drug Discovery). Common pharmacological approaches include the use of monoclonal antibodies and small molecules targeting receptors like CSF1R or CD47, as well as cytokine inhibitors that modulate the systemic inflammatory environment.

Other names

Innate immune systemMyeloid cellsMononuclear phagocyte systemProfessional phagocytesMonocytesDendritic cellsNatural killer cellsGranulocytes

Modulation of innate immune cell activity through inhibition of colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R), blockade of CD47/SIRPα signaling, or neutralization of pro-inflammatory cytokines like TNF-alpha, IL-6, and IL-1 beta.