Macrophage as a mediator of immune response: Sustenance of immune homeostasis

Abstract

Macrophages have evolved as a key player in our immune system. As macrophages remain groomed to combat invasions by pathogens they also exhibit distinct polarized (M1/M2) states while adapting to the local environmental milieu. Detailed molecular mechanisms governing the prevalence of the usual steady state as well as altered (M1/M2) homeostasis programs under normal and pathogenic conditions remain to be deciphered. In this review, we have discussed the significance of immune homeostasis in macrophages and the involvement of Wnt -Frizzled signalling therein. Overall this review throws light upon some important questions related to the immune homeostasis scheme, answers to which will offer new insight in the field of immunology.

Wnt Signaling: Pathogen Incursion and Immune Defense

“…The requirement of NFκB mediated gene transcription for immunity to bacterial infections has, furthermore, been independently documented (71–73). Wnt5A signaling can also influence transcriptional regulation of immune response genes such as TNFα, IFNγ, and IL6, which have interrelation with actin dynamics and are known to work toward inhibition of pathogen infection (2, 5, 6, 74–77). It will be interesting to find out how cytokine associated actin dynamics directly links with inhibition of pathogen infection.…”