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Updated: Jun 29, 2025
An In vitro Model to Study Heterogeneity of Human Macrophage Differentiation and Polarization
Published on: June 12, 2013
Approaches for studying human macrophages
Yuzhou Bao1, Guanlin Wang2, Hanjie Li3
1Key Laboratory of Quantitative Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China; State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.
Macrophages are vital tissue components involved in organogenesis, maintaining homeostasis, and responses to disease. Mouse models have significantly improved our understanding of macrophages. Further investigations into the characteristics and development of human macrophages are crucial, considering the substantial anatomical and physiological distinctions between mice and humans. Despite challenges in human macrophage research, recent studies are shedding light on the ontogeny and function of human macrophages. In this opinion, we propose combinations of cutting-edge approaches to examine the diversity, development, niche, and function of human tissue-resident macrophages. These methodologies can facilitate our exploration of human macrophages more efficiently, ideally providing new therapeutic avenues for macrophage-relevant disorders.
Macrophages are vital tissue components involved in organogenesis, maintaining homeostasis, and responses to disease. Mouse models have significantly improved our understanding of macrophages. Further investigations into the characteristics and development of human macrophages are crucial, considering the substantial anatomical and physiological distinctions between mice and humans. Despite challenges in human macrophage research, recent studies are shedding light on the ontogeny and function of human macrophages. In this opinion, we propose combinations of cutting-edge approaches to examine the diversity, development, niche, and function of human tissue-resident macrophages. These methodologies can facilitate our exploration of human macrophages more efficiently, ideally providing new therapeutic avenues for macrophage-relevant disorders.
