ArticlePloS one2017
The macrophage marker translocator protein (TSPO) is down-regulated on pro-inflammatory 'M1' human macrophages.
Article in PloS one, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 40 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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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.
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Who cites it
40 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 77 citations in OpenAlex.
- Multimodal microglial and kynurenine pathway alterations across the affective-psychosis spectrum: a systematic review of patterns, heterogeneity, and dimensional implications.Molecular psychiatry · 2026Pooled it
- Meta-analysis of molecular imaging of translocator protein in major depression.Frontiers in molecular neuroscience · 2022Pooled it
- Meta-analysis of the Glial Marker TSPO in Psychosis Revisited: Reconciling Inconclusive Findings of Patient-Control Differences.Biological psychiatry · 2021Pooled it
- Neuroinflammation in schizophrenia: meta-analysis ofPsychological medicine · 2019Pooled it
- Positron Emission Tomography Studies of the Glial Cell Marker Translocator Protein in Patients With Psychosis: A Meta-analysis Using Individual Participant Data.Biological psychiatry · 2018Pooled it
- Hydroxychloroquine Effects on THP-1 Macrophage Cholesterol Handling: Cell Culture Studies Corresponding to the TARGET Cardiovascular Trial.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2022Trial
- Mitochondrial dysfunction in peri-implantitis: bioinformatics and machine learning analysis with in vivo experiment.Odontology · 2026Article
- Noninvasive Monitoring of Inflammatory Processes by Myeloid Cell-Directed PET Tracers in an Experimental Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection Model.Journal of nuclear medicine : official publication, Society of Nuclear Medicine · 2026Article
- Microglia in autism spectrum disorder: heterogeneity, immunometabolism, and synapse-related pathways.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Review
- Comparative Study of [Molecular imaging and biology · 2025Article
- Anti-inflammatory effect of fluvastatin on polarized macrophages and its dependence on the mevalonate pathway.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Characteristics of TSPO expression in marmoset EAE.Journal of neuroinflammation · 2025Article
- Regional distribution of mechanical strain and macrophage-associated lung inflammation after ventilator-induced lung injury: an experimental study.Intensive care medicine experimental · 2024Article
- Pulmonary inflammation decreases with ultra-protective ventilation in experimental ARDS under VV-ECMO: a positron emission tomography study.Frontiers in medicine · 2024Article
- Radiotracers for Imaging of Inflammatory Biomarkers TSPO and COX-2 in the Brain and in the Periphery.International journal of molecular sciences · 2023Review
- TSPO acts as an immune resistance gene involved in the T cell mediated immune control of glioblastoma.Acta neuropathologica communications · 2023Article
- Two birds with one stone: human SIRPα nanobodies for functional modulation andFrontiers in immunology · 2023Article
- Cross-Talk and Subset Control of Microglia and Associated Myeloid Cells in Neurological Disorders.Cells · 2022Review
- Imaging the Influence of Red Blood Cell Docosahexaenoic Acid Status on the Expression of the 18 kDa Translocator Protein in the Brain: A [Biological psychiatry. Cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging · 2022Article
- Characterization of neuroinflammatory positron emission tomography biomarkers in chronic traumatic encephalopathy.Brain communications · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
The translocator protein (TSPO) is a mitochondrial membrane protein, of as yet uncertain function. Its purported high expression on activated macrophages, has lent utility to TSPO targeted molecular imaging in the form of positron emission tomography (PET), as a means to detect and quantify inflammation in vivo. However, existing literature regarding TSPO expression on human activated macrophages is lacking, mostly deriving from brain tissue studies, including studies of brain malignancy, and inflammatory diseases such as multiple sclerosis. Here, we utilized three human sources of monocyte derived macrophages (MDM), from THP-1 monocytes, healthy peripheral blood monocytes and synovial fluid monocytes from patients with rheumatoid arthritis, to undertake a detailed investigation of TSPO expression in activated macrophages. In this work, we demonstrate a consistent down-regulation of TSPO mRNA and protein in macrophages activated to a pro-inflammatory, or 'M1' phenotype. Conversely, stimulation of macrophages to an M2 phenotype with IL-4, dexamethasone or TGF-β1 did not alter TSPO expression, regardless of MDM source. The reasons for this are uncertain, but our study findings add some supporting evidence for recent investigations concluding that TSPO may be involved in negative regulation of inflammatory responses in macrophages.
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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.