細胞描述
Macrophages are cells differentiated from circulating bone marrow-derived monocytes. The main function of macrophages is to remove cellular debris and destroy invading pathogens. Mouse Hepatic Macrophages (MHMa), which are also known as Kupffer cells, reside within the lumen of liver sinusoids. MHMa protect the liver by responding to pathogens and metastatic cells, while tolerating harmless self and foreign antigens, which enter via blood flow through the portal vein and hepatic artery [1]. Recent studies have shown that hepatic macrophages play an important role in fibrosis, liver inflammation, fatty liver disease, and liver transplantation [2-4]. MHMa are an excellent model for studying macrophage functions under normal physiological and pathological conditions.
