Macrophages

Abstract

Macrophages are important for both tissue homeostasis and immunity. A great variety of macrophage subpopulations exist that are specialised in different functions eg, osteoclasts that remodel bone, inflammatory macrophages that orchestrate the immune response. As immune regulators macrophages recognise, internalise, degrade and present antigens. Different levels of macrophage activation can be distinguished and this influences the type of immune stimulators secreted by macrophages. Different pathogens have developed ways to evade the macrophage or influence macrophage function to their advantage. This chapter introduces the complexity of macrophage interaction with pathogens and fungal pathogens in particular