Origins and tissue-context-dependent fates of blood monocytes

doi:doi:10.1038/icb.2008.90

Immunology and Cell Biology (2009) 87, 30–38; doi:10.1038/icb.2008.90; published online 2 December 2008

Origins and tissue-context-dependent fates of blood monocytes

Chen Varol¹, Simon Yona¹ and Steffen Jung¹

¹Department of Immunology, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel

Correspondence: Dr S Jung, Department of Immunology, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel. E-mail: s.jung@weizmann.ac.il

Received 29 October 2008; Accepted 30 October 2008; Published online 2 December 2008.

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Abstract

Peripheral blood monocytes play a central role in the mononuclear phagocyte system by providing a critical link between the bone marrow (BM), as major site of adult hematopoiesis, and peripheral, terminally differentiated mononuclear phagocyte populations, as represented macrophages and dendritic cells. Moreover, recent experimental evidence highlights the plasticity of these ephemeral mobile cells and their direct involvement in the establishment and resolution of inflammatory reactions. Here we summarize the recent advance in our understanding of monocyte origins, subset dynamics and monocyte fates. In particular, we will focus on emerging evidence for monocyte recirculation to the BM and discuss its potential implications in health and disease.