Transcriptomic Analysis of Human Polarized Macrophages: More than One Role of Alternative Activation?

Background Macrophages are a heterogeneous cell population which in response to the cytokine milieu polarize in either classically activated macrophages (M1) or alternatively activated macrophages (M2). This plasticity makes macrophages essential in regulating inflammation, immune response and tissue remodeling and a novel therapeutic target in inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis. The aim of the study was to describe the transcriptomic profiles of differently polarized human macrophages to generate new hypotheses on the biological function of the different macrophage subtypes.