About this Research Topic
Specialized innate immune cells are found across nearly all metazoan organisms. Earliest experiments revealed the existence of innate phagocytes which efficiently clear invading pathogens or cell debris in the sea star larvae. The concept of phagocytic immune cells is conserved across insects to mammals and their counterparts are found in Drosophila, zebrafish or mammals. These cells seem to serve two major functions: the clearance of invading pathogens and cell debris, as well as the release of immunomodulatory molecules and growth factors. Their functions cover a variety of tasks from fighting of infections to clearing cancer and providing tissue homeostasis and repair. More and more studies reveal that immune functions of different phagocyte subsets are conserved across species and by studying phagocyte function across different species we can get new insights in the innate immune functions of human phagocytes such as granulocyte, monocytes, dendritic cells and macrophages.
In the immunological field, a cross species comparison of phagocyte function is rare. To our knowledge, the exchange of data between groups studying phagocyte function in different model organisms is limited. IN this Research Topic, we aim to showcase findings and data in different species on phagocyte function in health and disease. We welcome particularly reports on phagocyte function and dysfunction in the context of development, steady state, disease and regeneration. Additionally, we also welcome studies and literature summaries on advances in the understanding of phagocyte interaction and crosstalk with other neighboring cells (e.g. epithelium or endothelium), new findings how they maintain and reinstall tissue homeostasis, how they promote tissue integrity and how tissue-derived signals regulate phagocyte functions. Comparison and analysis of phagocyte function in different organisms might contribute to our knowledge about the innate immune system and might help understand the immune responses during different diseases such as cancer, infections or metabolic diseases.
We encourage contributions as Original Research and Review articles covering interesting new findings on a phagocyte subset function in different species covering invertebrates, such as mosquito or Drosophila, to vertebrate models such as zebrafish, rodents or human phagocytes. In particular, we aim to cover the following topics:
• Phagocyte function in normal development
• Phagocyte function in tissue repair and regeneration
• Phagocyte function in cancer
• Phagocyte function in infectious diseases
• Phagocyte dysfunction that underling inflammatory disease
In the immunological field, a cross species comparison of phagocyte function is rare. To our knowledge, the exchange of data between groups studying phagocyte function in different model organisms is limited. IN this Research Topic, we aim to showcase findings and data in different species on phagocyte function in health and disease. We welcome particularly reports on phagocyte function and dysfunction in the context of development, steady state, disease and regeneration. Additionally, we also welcome studies and literature summaries on advances in the understanding of phagocyte interaction and crosstalk with other neighboring cells (e.g. epithelium or endothelium), new findings how they maintain and reinstall tissue homeostasis, how they promote tissue integrity and how tissue-derived signals regulate phagocyte functions. Comparison and analysis of phagocyte function in different organisms might contribute to our knowledge about the innate immune system and might help understand the immune responses during different diseases such as cancer, infections or metabolic diseases.
We encourage contributions as Original Research and Review articles covering interesting new findings on a phagocyte subset function in different species covering invertebrates, such as mosquito or Drosophila, to vertebrate models such as zebrafish, rodents or human phagocytes. In particular, we aim to cover the following topics:
• Phagocyte function in normal development
• Phagocyte function in tissue repair and regeneration
• Phagocyte function in cancer
• Phagocyte function in infectious diseases
• Phagocyte dysfunction that underling inflammatory disease
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
