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REVIEW article

Front. Immunol.
Sec. Inflammation
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1474688
This article is part of the Research Topic Community Series in Inflammation in Respiratory and Neurological Diseases and the immune-interaction of the lung-brain axis: Volume II View all 9 articles

Transformation of macrophages into myofibroblasts in fibrosis-related diseases: emerging biological concepts and potential mechanism

Provisionally accepted
Xiujun Li Xiujun Li 1Yuyan Liu Yuyan Liu 2Yongjun Tang Yongjun Tang 3Zhaoyi Xia Zhaoyi Xia 4,5*
  • 1 Health Science Center, Chifeng University, Chifeng, China
  • 2 Rehabilitation Medicine College, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong Province, China
  • 3 Department of emergency, Affiliated Hospital of Chifeng University, Chifeng, China
  • 4 Department of Library, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Ji nan, China
  • 5 Department of Library, Jinan Children's Hospital, Jinan, Shandong Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Macrophage-myofibroblast transformation (MMT) transforms macrophages into myofibroblasts in a specific inflammation or injury microenvironment. MMT is an essential biological process in fibrosis-related diseases involving the lung, heart, kidney, liver, skeletal muscle, and other organs and tissues. This process consists of interacting with various cells and molecules and activating different signal transduction pathways. This review deeply discussed the molecular mechanism of MMT, clarified crucial signal pathways, multiple cytokines, and growth factors, and formed a complex regulatory network. Significantly, the critical role of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and its downstream signaling pathways in this process were clarified. Furthermore, we discussed the significance of MMT in physiological and pathological conditions, such as pulmonary fibrosis and cardiac fibrosis. This review provides a new perspective for understanding the interaction between macrophages and myofibroblasts and new strategies and targets for the prevention and treatment of MMT in fibrotic diseases.

    Keywords: Macrophages, Myofibroblasts, macrophage-to-myofibroblast transformation (MMT), TGF-β signaling pathway, Fibrosis

    Received: 02 Aug 2024; Accepted: 06 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Li, Liu, Tang and Xia. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Zhaoyi Xia, Department of Library, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Ji nan, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.