Regulation of macrophage reprogramming and functional specification in pneumonia (Herold / Triantafyllopulou)

Sterile tissue inflammation and infection result in recruitment of macrophage precursors that give rise to inflammation-induced macrophages (iMφ). iMφ are significantly increased  in numbers in the lung during pneumonia and orchestrate the innate immune response.

How iMφ precursors acquire diverse differentiation programs, promoting tissue injury or epithelial regeneration, and the role of epithelial- iMφ cross-talk in these processes are open important questions that will be addressed in this project. Our goal is to identify therapeutic targets to treat severe pneumonia by uncovering the mechanistic underpinnings of iMφ programs that attenuate lung injury and drive organ repair.