Regulation and Mechanism of Macrophage Function by Mechanical Force / 生物化学与生物物理进展

ABSTRACT

As the vanguard of the innate immune system to recognize external environmental stimuli, macrophages can respond to subtle changes in the environment and achieve adaptive regulation of their own functions, playing a crucial role in maintaining homeostasis and resisting infection. Various mechanical stress stimuli including endogenous stress mediated by mechanical characteristics of extracellular matrix, and exogenous stress such as solid/liquid pressure, tension and fluid shear stress, exist in the physiological or pathological tissue microenvironment, which have important effects on the immune function of macrophages. The understanding of macrophage mechanobiology will contribute to the development of new immunotherapies targeting macrophages. This review focuses on the functional regulation of macrophages by mechanical stress, summarizes the research progress from the perspective of influencing cell adhesion, migration, phagocytosis and polarization, and summarizes the molecular mechanisms of macrophage mechanical sensing and transduction from the outside to the inside in three levels cell membrane mechanical sensors, force signal transduction of cytoskeleton system, and YAP/TAZ-mediated gene expression regulation response to mechanical stress. In addition, the application prospects and future vision of macrophage mechanobiology research in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and tumor immunotherapy are discussed, providing strong support for a deeper understanding of the plasticity of macrophage function.