title: Protective features of peripheral monocytes/macrophages in stroke.
abstract: Hematogenous recruitment of monocytes and macrophages has traditionally been viewed as a harmful process causing exacerbation of brain injury after stroke. However, emerging findings suggest equally important protective features. Inflammatory monocytes are rapidly recruited to ischemic brain via a CCR2-dependent pathway and undergo secondary differentiation in the target tissue towards non-inflammatory macrophages, mediating neuroprotection and repair of the ischemic neurovascular unit. In contrast, independent recruitment of non-inflammatory monocytes via CX3CR1 does not occur. Thus, protective features of hematogenous macrophages mainly depend on initial CCR2-dependent cell recruitment. Under therapeutic considerations, specific modulation of monocyte-derived macrophages will therefore be more appropriate than non-selectively blocking their hematogenous recruitment. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Neuro Inflammation edited by Helga E. de Vries and Markus Schwaninger.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Heinrich-Heine-University, Medical Faculty, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gliem
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Lübeck, Germany.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schwaninger
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Heinrich-Heine-University, Medical Faculty, Düsseldorf, Germany. Electronic address: jander@uni-duesseldorf.de.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jander
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D000066829:Neuroprotection; D065840:Protective Factors; D054390:Receptors, CCR2 / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D054390:Receptors, CCR2
keywords: Inflammation; Macrophage; Monocyte; Neuroprotection; Repair; Stroke