Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37530555›Full record

ArticleClinical science (London, England : 1979)2023

M1/M2 macrophages and their overlaps - myth or reality?

Zuzana Strizova, Iva Benesova, Robin Bartolini, Rene Novysedlak, Eva Cecrdlova, Lily Koumbas Foley, Ilja Striz

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Clinical science (London, England : 1979), 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 376 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
376citing papers in PubMed
76.6field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

376 citing papers in PubMed, 466 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Oncoimmunology · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
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  4. Review
  5. Phenotypic switching of gastrointestinal smooth muscle cells and the regulatory role of macrophages: a literature review.Inflammation research : official journal of the European Histamine Research Society ... [et al.] · 2026
    Review
  6. Sex Steroid Hormone Regulation of T-Cell Function and Antitumor Immunity.Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research · 2026
    Review
  7. Review
  8. Review
  9. Review
  10. Article
  11. Review
  12. Article
  13. Immunotherapy for Glioma: A compartmental framework for resistance and rational combination design.Neurotherapeutics : the journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics · 2026
    Review
  14. Review
  15. The M1/M2 Test System for Determining Macrophage Phenotypes.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026
    Review
  16. Article
  17. Review
  18. Review
  19. Article
  20. Article

316 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Zuzana StrizovaDepartment of Immunology, Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and University Hospital Motol, V Uvalu 84, 15006, Prague, Czech Republic.
Iva BenesovaDepartment of Immunology, Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and University Hospital Motol, V Uvalu 84, 15006, Prague, Czech Republic.
Robin BartoliniChemokine Research Group, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TT, U.K.
Rene NovysedlakThird Department of Surgery, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and University Hospital Motol, V Uvalu 84, 15006, Prague, Czech Republic.ORCID 0000-0002-2660-6815
Eva CecrdlovaDepartment of Clinical and Transplant Immunology, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic.
Lily Koumbas FoleyChemokine Research Group, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TT, U.K.
Ilja StrizDepartment of Clinical and Transplant Immunology, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic.ORCID 0000-0001-9269-5652
Charles University · CZUniversity of Glasgow · GBInstitute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine · CZ

Funding

Medical Research Council MR/V010972/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Macrophages represent heterogeneous cell population with important roles in defence mechanisms and in homoeostasis. Tissue macrophages from diverse anatomical locations adopt distinct activation states. M1 and M2 macrophages are two polarized forms of mononuclear phagocyte in vitro differentiation with distinct phenotypic patterns and functional properties, but in vivo, there is a wide range of different macrophage phenotypes in between depending on the microenvironment and natural signals they receive. In human infections, pathogens use different strategies to combat macrophages and these strategies include shaping the macrophage polarization towards one or another phenotype. Macrophages infiltrating the tumours can affect the patient's prognosis. M2 macrophages have been shown to promote tumour growth, while M1 macrophages provide both tumour-promoting and anti-tumour properties. In autoimmune diseases, both prolonged M1 activation, as well as altered M2 function can contribute to their onset and activity. In human atherosclerotic lesions, macrophages expressing both M1 and M2 profiles have been detected as one of the potential factors affecting occurrence of cardiovascular diseases. In allergic inflammation, T2 cytokines drive macrophage polarization towards M2 profiles, which promote airway inflammation and remodelling. M1 macrophages in transplantations seem to contribute to acute rejection, while M2 macrophages promote the fibrosis of the graft. The view of pro-inflammatory M1 macrophages and M2 macrophages suppressing inflammation seems to be an oversimplification because these cells exploit very high level of plasticity and represent a large scale of different immunophenotypes with overlapping properties. In this respect, it would be more precise to describe macrophages as M1-like and M2-like.

Indexed as

CytokinesMacrophagesCell DifferentiationHumansInflammationPhenotypeCytokinescancerdifferentiationinfectionM1/M2macrophagespolarisation

Identifiers

PMID37530555
PMCPMC10407193
OpenAlexW4385475981

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.