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Updated: Feb 27, 2026

Bone Marrow-derived Macrophage Production
Published on: November 22, 2013
Tissue macrophages: heterogeneity and functions
Siamon Gordon1,2, Annette Plüddemann3
1Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan City, 33302, Taiwan. Siamon.gordon@path.ox.ac.uk.
Abstract:
Macrophages are present in all vertebrate tissues, from mid-gestation throughout life, constituting a widely dispersed organ system. They promote homeostasis by responding to internal and external changes within the body, not only as phagocytes in defence against microbes and in clearance of dead and senescent cells, but also through trophic, regulatory and repair functions. In this review, we describe macrophage phenotypic heterogeneity in different tissue environments, drawing particular attention to organ-specific functions.
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