Advances in macrophage-myofibroblast transformation in fibrotic diseases

Front Immunol. 2024 Oct 9:15:1461919. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1461919. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

Macrophage-myofibroblast transformation (MMT) has emerged as a discovery in the field of fibrotic disease research. MMT is the process by which macrophages differentiate into myofibroblasts, leading to organ fibrosis following organ damage and playing an important role in fibrosis formation and progression. Recently, many new advances have been made in studying the mechanisms of MMT occurrence in fibrotic diseases. This article reviews some critical recent findings on MMT, including the origin of MMT in myofibroblasts, the specific mechanisms by which MMT develops, and the mechanisms and effects of MMT in the kidneys, lungs, heart, retina, and other fibrosis. By summarizing the latest research related to MMT, this paper provides a theoretical basis for elucidating the mechanisms of fibrosis in various organs and developing effective therapeutic targets for fibrotic diseases.

Keywords: TGF-β; fibrosis; macrophage; macrophage-myofibroblast transition; myofibroblast.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Fibrosis*
  • Humans
  • Macrophages* / immunology
  • Macrophages* / pathology
  • Myofibroblasts* / metabolism
  • Myofibroblasts* / pathology

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This study was supported by the Cultivation Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of Guizhou Medical University (grant no. 22NSFCP26) and The Guizhou Natural Science Foundation (grant number ZK [2024]171).