Researchers from VIB-UGent reveal that adult circulating monocytes that get access to the macrophage niche in the liver or the lung can acquire identical tissue-specific macrophage functions and self-maintenance capacities as macrophages of embryonic origin. This paves the way towards monocyte-based cellular therapy in diseases associated with macrophage dysfunction, such as the disease known as pulmonary alveolar proteinosis. Using a mouse model for pulmonary alveolar proteinosis, the authors demonstrate that this rare disease can be cured by a single transfer of monocytes.
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