title: Macrophage Phenotype in Kidney Injury and Repair.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Glomerular and interstitial macrophage infiltration is a feature for both the acute and chronic kidney diseases. Macrophages have been shown to play a diverse role in kidney injury and repair. Thus, macrophages may be a key cell type in acute and chronic kidney injury and repair.
  During renal inflammation, circulating monocytes are recruited and then become activated and polarized. By adapting to the local microenvironment, macrophages can differentiate into different phenotypes and function as a double-bladed sword in different stages of kidney disease. In general, M1 macrophages play a pathogenic role in boosting inflammatory renal injury, whereas M2 macrophages exert an anti-inflammatory and wound healing (or profibrotic) role during renal repair. In this review, we highlight the phenotypic polarization of macrophages in renal diseases and dissect their distinct functions in renal injury and repair processes, respectively. Moreover, the current understanding of regulatory mechanisms on the phenotypic switch and macrophage-related therapy are also intensively discussed.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Ming
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China.
authors.forename: Patrick Ming-Kuen
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China; Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China.
authors.forename: Hui Yao
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Lan
keywords: Fibrosis; Inflammation; Macrophage; Phenotype