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Updated: Aug 20, 2025
Isolation, Characterization, and Purification of Macrophages from Tissues Affected by Obesity-related Inflammation
Published on: April 3, 2017
Adipose tissue macrophages: Regulators of adipose tissue immunometabolism during obesity
Sierra A Nance1, Lindsey Muir2, Carey Lumeng1
1Molecular & Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, United States; Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School, United States.
Background:
Adipose tissue macrophages (ATMs) are a well characterized regulator of adipose tissue inflammatory tone. Previously defined by the M1 vs M2 classification, we now have a better understanding of ATM diversity that departs from the old paradigm and reports a spectrum of ATM function and phenotypes in both brown and white adipose tissue.
Scope Of Review:
This review provides an updated overview of ATM activation and function, ATM diversity in humans and rodents, and novel ATM functions that contribute to metabolic homeostasis and disease.
Major Conclusions:
While the paradigm that resident ATMs predominate in the lean state and obesity leads to the accumulation of lipid-associated and inflammatory ATMs still broadly remains rigorously supported, the details of this model continue to be refined and single cell data provide new insight into ATM subtypes and states.
