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Updated: May 24, 2026
Bone Marrow-derived Macrophage Production
Published on: November 22, 2013
Pig bone marrow-derived macrophages resemble human macrophages in their response to bacterial lipopolysaccharide
Ronan Kapetanovic1, Lynsey Fairbairn, Dario Beraldi
1The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK.
Abstract:
Mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM) grown in M-CSF (CSF-1) have been used widely in studies of macrophage biology and the response to TLR agonists. We investigated whether similar cells could be derived from the domestic pig using human rCSF-1 and whether porcine macrophages might represent a better model of human macrophage biology. Cultivation of pig bone marrow cells for 5-7 d in presence of human rCSF-1 generated a pure population of BMDM that expressed the usual macrophage markers (CD14, CD16, and CD172a), were potent phagocytic cells, and produced TNF in response to LPS. Pig BMDM could be generated from bone marrow cells that had been stored frozen and thawed so that multiple experiments can be performed on samples from a single animal. Gene expression in pig BMDM from outbred animals responding to LPS was profiled using Affymetrix microarrays. The temporal cascade of inducible and repressible genes more closely resembled the known responses of human than mouse macrophages, sharing with humans the regulation of genes involved in tryptophan metabolism (IDO, KYN), lymphoattractant chemokines (CCL20, CXCL9, CXCL11, CXCL13), and the vitamin D3-converting enzyme, Cyp27B1. Conversely, in common with published studies of human macrophages, pig BMDM did not strongly induce genes involved in arginine metabolism, nor did they produce NO. These results establish pig BMDM as an alternative tractable model for the study of macrophage transcriptional control.
Insights
Porcine macrophages derived from bone marrow offer a valuable model for human immunology research. These pig bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM) closely mimic human responses to inflammatory stimuli, unlike mouse BMDM.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
- Macrophage Research
Background:
- Mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM) are widely used for studying macrophage biology and Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonist responses.
- The utility of porcine macrophages as a model for human macrophage biology remains largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the feasibility of deriving porcine BMDM using human recombinant colony-stimulating factor-1 (rCSF-1).
- To evaluate porcine BMDM as a potential model for human macrophage biology compared to mouse BMDM.
Main Methods:
- Porcine bone marrow cells were cultured with human rCSF-1 to generate BMDM.
- Macrophage markers, phagocytic activity, and cytokine production (TNF) in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were assessed.
- Gene expression profiling of LPS-stimulated pig BMDM was performed using microarrays.
Main Results:
- A pure population of porcine BMDM was successfully generated, expressing key macrophage markers and exhibiting potent phagocytosis.
- Pig BMDM produced TNF in response to LPS and could be derived from cryopreserved bone marrow cells.
- Gene expression analysis revealed that pig BMDM responses to LPS more closely resembled human macrophages than mouse macrophages, particularly in genes related to tryptophan metabolism, chemokines, and vitamin D3 conversion.
Conclusions:
- Porcine BMDM represent a tractable and valuable alternative model for studying human macrophage biology and transcriptional control.
- Pig BMDM share key transcriptional response characteristics with human macrophages, offering advantages over mouse models for certain research applications.
