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Macrophage metabolic reprogramming refers to the process by which macrophages adjust their physiological pathways to meet survival and functional demands in different immune microenvironments. This involves a range of metabolic pathways, including glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, fatty acid oxidation, and cholesterol transport. By modulating the expression and activity of key enzymes and molecules within these pathways, macrophages can make the transition between pro- and anti-inflammatory phenotypes, thereby linking metabolic reprogramming to inflammatory responses and the progression of several diseases, such as atherosclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and acute lung injury (ALI). N6-methyladenosine (mA) modification has emerged as a critical regulatory mechanism during macrophage metabolic reprogramming, broadly affecting RNA stability, translation, and degradation. Therapeutic strategies targeting mA modification can regulate the onset of metabolic diseases by influencing macrophage metabolic changes, for instance, small molecule inhibitors of methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3) can affect glucose metabolism and inhibit IBD. This review systematically explores recent findings on the role and molecular mechanisms of mA modification during macrophage metabolic reprogramming in human diseases and animal models, underscoring its potential as a therapeutic target for metabolic diseases.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1521196 | DOI Listing |
Haematologica
September 2025
Center for Cardiometabolic Science, Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute, Division of Environmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky,.
Maintaining a healthy pool of circulating red blood cells (RBCs) is essential for adequate perfusion, as even minor changes in the population can impair oxygen delivery, resulting in serious health complications including tissue ischemia and organ dysfunction. This responsibility largely falls to specialized macrophages in the spleen, known as red pulp macrophages, which efficiently take up and recycle damaged RBCs. However, questions remain regarding how these macrophages are acutely activated to accommodate increased demand.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol
September 2025
Vascular Biology Program, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, MA (K. Cui, B.Z., B.W., S.E.-B., A.V., H.C.).
Background: Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by the accumulation of lipid-laden foam cells and plaques within the arterial wall. Dysfunctional vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and macrophages contribute to disease progression. Here, we report that macrophage-specific expression of epsins, highly conserved endocytic adaptor proteins involved in clathrin-mediated endocytosis, accelerates atherosclerosis in Western diet-fed mice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol
September 2025
Department of Medicine/Division of Cardiology, University of California Los Angeles. (S.S., C.R.S., L.F., M.P., C.P., Z.Z., J.J.M., R.C.D., D.S., A.J.L.).
Background: In genetic studies with the Hybrid Mouse Diversity Panel, we previously identified a chromosome 9 locus for atherosclerosis. We now identify NNMT (nicotinamide -methyltransferase), an enzyme that degrades nicotinamide, as the causal gene in the locus and show that the underlying mechanism involves salvage of nicotinamide to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD).
Methods: Gain/loss of function studies in macrophages were performed to examine the role of NAD levels in macrophage proliferation and apoptosis in atherosclerosis.
J Biomed Sci
September 2025
Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
Oncometabolites are aberrant metabolic byproducts that arise from mutations in enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle or related metabolic pathways and play central roles in tumor progression and immune evasion. Among these, 2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG), succinate, and fumarate are the most well-characterized, acting as competitive inhibitors of α-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases to alter DNA and histone methylation, cellular differentiation, and hypoxia signaling. More recently, itaconate, an immunometabolite predominantly produced by activated macrophages, has been recognized for its dual roles in modulating inflammation and tumor immunity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNat Commun
September 2025
Institute of Computational Biology, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany.
Atherosclerosis, a major cause of cardiovascular diseases, is characterized by the buildup of lipids and chronic inflammation in the arteries, leading to plaque formation and potential rupture. Despite recent advances in single-cell transcriptomics (scRNA-seq), the underlying immune mechanisms and transformations in structural cells driving plaque progression remain incompletely defined. Existing datasets often lack comprehensive coverage and consistent annotations, limiting the utility of downstream analyses.
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