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Updated: May 10, 2026

Isolation of Macrophage Subsets and Stromal Cells from Human and Mouse Myocardial Specimens
Published on: December 17, 2019
Monocyte and macrophage heterogeneity in the heart
Matthias Nahrendorf1, Filip K Swirski
1Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA. mnahrendorf@mgh.harvard.edu
Abstract:
Monocytes and macrophages are innate immune cells that reside and accumulate in the healthy and injured heart. The cells and their subsets pursue distinct functions in steady-state and disease, and their tenure may range between hours and months. Some subsets are highly inflammatory, whereas others support tissue repair. This review discusses current concepts of lineage relationships and crosstalk of systems, highlights open questions, and describes tools for studying monocyte and macrophage subsets in the murine and human heart.

