巨噬细胞在组织发育中的的营养作用

Trophic macrophages in development

巨噬细胞是一类由单核细胞移行至组织，分化成熟而来的免疫辅佐细胞，可以维持内环境的稳态，识别自我与非我。目前，在大多数原始的多细胞生物中发现存在某些特殊的巨噬细胞，随着生物体及其免疫系统的复杂化，这些巨噬细胞的功能也在不断地进化着。其中，巨噬细胞在组织发育中也发挥着相当重要的作用，但是，这种作用往往被人们忽视了。巨噬细胞在骨形成、导管分支建立、神经形成和血管发生过程中都表现出了重要的功能，如果巨噬细胞缺失，就会导致组织形成障碍以及功能丧失。

Specialized phagocytes are found in most primitive multicellular organisms. Their roles in homeostasis and in distinguishing self from non-self are evolved with the complexity of organisms and their immune systems. The roles of macrophages in tissue development are equally important. In this review, the functions of macrophages in branching morphogenesis, neuronal patterning, angiogenesis and bone morphogenesis are discussed. In each of the events mentioned abve, the depletion of macrophage impairs the formation of tissue and its function. The aim of this review is to discuss that the unrestrained acquisition of these developmental macrophage functions exacerbates pathology in several diseases.