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IFN-γ in tissue-immune homeostasis and antitumor immunity

Cellular & Molecular Immunology volume 15, pages 531–532 (2018)Cite this article

Tissue-resident immune cells are known to be derived from their circulating precursors and migrate to tissues for host defense. Recent studies have revealed heterogeneity in the origin and proliferation properties of macrophages, which are a prototype tissue-resident immune cell. The tissue-resident macrophages can originate from embryonic and fetal sources and are self-maintained by continuous local self-renewal.1,2 As accessory cells, tissue-resident macrophages support parenchymal cells (their ‘client cells’), and their functions range from tissue development to tissue homeostasis (for example, osteoclasts, lung macrophages, microglia, splenic red-pulp macrophages, and Kupffer cells). Although macrophages are known as the major immune cell with tissue-specific functions, new frameworks integrating the functions of other immune cells with the maintenance of tissue homeostasis will be likely established in the near future.

The transcriptional master regulators (for example, PU.1 and C/EBP-β) determine the macrophage lineage before the cells enter tissues.3,4 These master regulators control a universal transcription module that determines the phenotype shared by all macrophage subsets. In adults, tissue-resident macrophages are differentiated from monocytes that migrate from the bone marrow via blood vessels. The cells obtain their identity by cooperation between macrophage-lineage-differentiation factors (for example, M-CSF and GM-CSF) and tissue-specific factors that include environmental signals such as tissue trophic factors or functional demands. For example, heme and retinoic acid drive the differentiation of splenic red-pulp macrophages and peritoneal macrophages via the transcription factors Spi-C and GATA-6, respectively.5,6,7 In addition, the alveolar macrophage is differentiated from fetal monocytes by the GM-CSF-PPAR-γ axis.8 However, beside these few specific cases the tissue-specific signals required for tissue macrophage differentiation have not been elucidated.

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Acknowledgements

BK laboratory is supported by a grant (2015-0367) from University of Ulsan.

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  1. Department of Biomedical Science, School of Biological Sciences, University of Ulsan, 44610, Ulsan, Korea

    Byungsuk Kwon

  2. Biomedical Research Center, Ulsan University Hospital, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, 44033, Ulsan, Korea

    Byungsuk Kwon

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Kwon, B. IFN-γ in tissue-immune homeostasis and antitumor immunity. Cell Mol Immunol 15, 531–532 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/cmi.2017.95

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