ReviewFrontiers in immunology2015
Anatomy of a discovery: m1 and m2 macrophages.
Review in Frontiers in immunology, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 262 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
262 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Role of Macrophages in Cardiac Remodeling: Cues From Zebrafish Heart.Immunity, inflammation and disease · 2026Pooled it
- Contribution of oxidative stress in the mechanisms of postoperative complications and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome.Redox report : communications in free radical research · 2021Pooled it
- Evaluation of cutaneous immune response in a controlled human in vivo model of mosquito bites.Nature communications · 2022Trial
- Transglutaminase 2 regulates innate immunity: mechanisms and therapeutic implications.Oncoimmunology · 2026Review
- Review
- Targeting ferroptosis induction via nanomaterials in hepatocellular carcinoma: an insight into mechanism and therapeutic potential.Journal of nanobiotechnology · 2026Review
- Macrophage Plasticity: Phenotypic and Functional Profiles Across Pathological Microenvironments.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- Macrophage metabolism reprogramming in sepsis: Pathogenesis and therapeutic implications (Review).International journal of molecular medicine · 2026Review
- AI-Driven Secondary Immunomodulatory Effects of Conventional Drugs on Patient-Derived Macrophages.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
- Unraveling the mouse model ofMicrobiology spectrum · 2026Article
- Activating transcription factors: Orchestrators of macrophage biology in pathological settings (Review).International journal of molecular medicine · 2026Review
- Phosphatidylserine Externalization in Cancer: Biology, Immune Suppression, and Emerging Theragnostic Strategies.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (BM-MSCs) and Small Intestinal Submucosa (SIS) Hydrogel Composite Can Meliorate TNBS-Induced Experimental Colitis Through Regulating Inhibiting Macrophage Polarization Toward the M1 Phenotype.Mediators of inflammation · 2026Article
- Decidua macrophages display a restrained inflammatory profile during chorioamnionitis.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Article
- Targeting bromodomain and extra-terminal proteins reprograms macrophages and inhibits breast cancer progression.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Article
- The dynamic interplay of M1/M2-like macrophages and adenosine deaminase activity modulates COVID-19 severity.Open medicine (Warsaw, Poland) · 2026Article
- Lipedema as a disorder of adipose tissue heterogeneity: insights from single-cell and spatial transcriptomics.Frontiers in cell and developmental biology · 2026Review
- Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy in Pain Management - an In-Depth Narrative Review.Orthopedic reviews · 2026Article
- Lysosomal exocytosis by macrophages as a druggable mechanism for anti-inflammatory clearance of dead adipocytes in adipose tissue.Cell death & disease · 2025Article
- Role of macrophages in peritoneal dialysis-associated peritoneal fibrosis.Renal failure · 2025Review
202 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
1 author.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
M1 and M2 macrophage-type responses kill or repair in vivo. The unique ability of macrophages to make these polar opposite type of responses provides primary host protection and maintains tissue homeostasis throughout the animal kingdom. In humans and other higher animals, M1 and M2-type macrophage responses also initiate and direct T cells/adaptive immunity to provide additional protection such as Th1 (cytotoxic) or Th2 (antibody-mediated) type responses. Hence, macrophages were renamed M1 and M2 to indicate the central role of macrophages/innate immunity in immune systems. These findings indicate that the long held notion that adaptive immunity controls innate immunity was backward: a sea change in understanding how immune responses occur. The clinical impact of M1/kill and M2/repair responses is immense playing pivotal roles in curing (or causing) many diseases including infections, cancer, autoimmunity, and atherosclerosis. How M1/M2 came to be is an interesting story that, like life, involved Direction, Determination, Discouragement, and Discovery.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.