New Discovery by Dr. Fernando Martinez Estrada and Team on Macrophages Could Revolutionize Medicine

Researchers led by Dr. Fernando Martinez Estrada at the University of Surrey have made a significant breakthrough in understanding macrophages, essential cells in the immune system. They discovered that the protein CSF1R is a reliable marker for identifying macrophages in tissues and monocytes and dendritic cells in blood. This discovery allows for the distinct identification and separation of various sample types, which is crucial for designing new medical interventions.

Dr. Estrada stated, “We have developed a method using CSF1R that can identify all types of Mononuclear phagocyte system cells in the body. This marker is incredibly useful for studying these cells in both health and disease, and it unlocks exciting new possibilities for cell isolation and quantification for diagnosing and monitoring various conditions with a single cell marker.”

The research team also introduced a new concept called Macrophage Activation Mosaicism. This means that macrophages can exhibit a mix of activation characteristics, reflecting the complexity of real tissue environments. Dr. Federica Orsenigo, co-author of the study, explained, “This discovery is significant because it changes how we perceive macrophage activation. Recognising that macrophages can have mixed activation status helps us better understand their roles in different diseases and could lead to more targeted and effective treatments.”

Emeritus Professor Siamon Gordon from the University of Oxford added, “Therapies that seek to re-educate macrophages are widely sought. However, the tools to measure activation are underdeveloped. Having a robust multi-gene tool to study macrophage activation can help in drug screening, identify drugs that revert macrophage activation, and eventually help with patient characterisation and personalised medicine.”