Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 13, 2026
Polarization and Characterization of M1 and M2 Human Monocyte-Derived Macrophages on Implant Surfaces
Published on: December 6, 2024
Differential uptake of nanoparticles by human M1 and M2 polarized macrophages: protein corona as a critical
Karin A Binnemars-Postma1, Hetty Wm Ten Hoopen1, Gert Storm1,2
1Department of Biomaterials Science & Technology, Targeted Therapeutics Section, MIRA Institute for Biomedical Technology & Technical Medicine, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands.
Aim:
To investigate the interaction behavior of M1- and M2-type macrophages with nanoparticles of different sizes with/without the presence of serum.
Materials & Methods:
THP-1 human monocytes were differentiated into M1 and M2 macrophages, and the uptake of silica nanoparticle (50-1000 nm) was studied using flow cytometry and different microscopies.
Results:
Without serum, higher uptake of all-sized nanoparticles was observed by M1 compared with M2. With serum, uptake of nanoparticles (200-1000 nm) was dramatically increased by M2. Furthermore, serum proteins adsorbed (corona) by nanoparticles were found to be the ligands for receptors expressed by M2, as revealed by SDS-PAGE and gene profiling analyses.
Conclusion:
The observed differential uptake by M1 and M2 macrophages will help understand the fate of nanoparticles in vivo.
