Alternative macrophage activation and the regulation of metabolism.
Macrophages are white blood cells that have important roles in phagocytosis and immune responses. A series of recent papers reveals that nuclear receptors influence the precise pathway of macrophage phenotype polarization and that these effects protect against insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, the most important group of diseases facing the industrialized world.
Methodist Hospital Research Institute, Center for Diabetes Research 6565 Fannin Street, F8-045, Houston, TX 77030 USA. pwebb@tmhs.org
Paul
P
Webb