Type 2-Mediated Oxidative Reprogramming Promotes Macrophage Transition into Repair Mode for Wound Healing

    S. Willenborg, D.E. Sanin, E.J. Pearce, A. Trifunovic, H. Kashkar, S.A. Eming
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    Studysummary This study identified a new role for IL-4Ra-induced oxidative metabolism in wound macrophages, essential for balancing inflammatory response and promoting pro-fibrotic repair, suggesting a target for fibrosis prevention.
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    The study "1497 Type 2-mediated oxidative reprogramming promotes the transition of macrophages into repair mode and is required for wound healing" investigates the role of type 2 inflammation and oxidative metabolisms (OXPHOS) in wound macrophages (MFs) in tissue repair and fibrosis. The researchers used genetic resources and mouse models to identify type 2 signaling as a critical regulator of OXPHOS and the expression of pro-fibrotic mediators in late-phase wound MFs. They found that deleting Cox10, a component of the electron transport chain, in wound MFs impaired wound healing and prevented the downregulation of inflammatory gene expression. These findings suggest that IL-4Ra-induced OXPHOS in wound MFs is necessary to balance the downregulation of early-phase pro-inflammatory mediators and the induction of pro-fibrotic late-phase repair programs. This provides a potential strategy for repurposing type 2 blockers to target OXPHOS in wound MFs and prevent tissue fibrosis.
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