Cardiac resident macrophages: The core of cardiac immune homeostasis

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Cardiology
• Macrophage Biology

Background:

• Cardiac resident macrophages (CRMs) are crucial for cardiac immune homeostasis.
• Dysregulation of CRMs contributes to cardiovascular diseases like myocarditis, myocardial infarction (MI), and heart failure (HF).
• Emerging evidence highlights CRM heterogeneity and complexity in cardiac health and disease.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the multifaceted functions of CRMs, including immune surveillance, phagocytosis, and metabolism.
• To explore the impact of CRM homeostasis imbalance on cardiac injury and repair.
• To discuss CRMs as therapeutic targets for cardiovascular diseases.

Main Methods:

• Literature review focusing on recent studies of CRMs.
• Analysis of CRM functions in cardiac immune homeostasis.
• Examination of CRM roles in cardiac injury and repair processes.

Main Results:

• CRMs play vital roles in immune surveillance, phagocytosis, and metabolic regulation within the heart.
• Imbalance in CRM homeostasis is linked to cardiac damage and impaired healing.
• CRM heterogeneity and spatiotemporal dynamics are key factors in cardiac pathology.

Conclusions:

• CRMs are central to maintaining cardiac health and their dysregulation drives cardiovascular disease progression.
• Understanding CRM complexity offers insights into cardiac injury and repair mechanisms.
• Targeting CRMs through immunomodulatory strategies presents a promising therapeutic avenue for cardiovascular diseases.