Entity

Regulació de l’Expressió Gènica / Biologia del macròfag

Groups, units and services of the UB

 

Macrophages are produced in the bone marrow and are located in all the organs of the body, where they differentiate and become microglia (brain), Kupffer cells (liver), Langerhans cells (skin), dendritic cells, among others.

 

Macrophages are critical in the immune system as they directly phagocytize and destroy bacteria, fungi, parasites and virus. They also release a large number of molecules that regulate the function of other cells. For example, they produce TNF-α or IL-1, which are responsible for the production of fever. They also present the antigens processed as peptides to T lymphocytes, an obligatory step to produce immunological memory, the basis for vaccine activity.

 

Macrophages not only destroy micro-organisms but also play a key role in wound healing, tissue repair and vascularization. Finally, these cells have important functions outside of the immune system, such as the control of iron or lipid metabolisms. The dendritic cells that derive from macrophages are potent antigen-presenting cells and at the present are used in clinical trials to induce immunity against tumors or to remove the HIV virus from infected patients under treatment.

+34 934 037 165

acelada@ub.edu

sites.google.com/site/macrophagebiologygroup


Contact person: Antonio Celada Cotarelo

Location: Ed. Clúster - S1B54