The role of macrophages in aortic physiology and pathophysiology.
YX, Z., LQ, J., YC, T., C, X., BJ, B., WX, D., X, D., DJ, L., HT, X., & TB, N. (2026). The role of macrophages in aortic physiology and pathophysiology.. Frontiers in immunology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2026.1889403
YX Z, LQ J, YC T, C X, BJ B, WX D, et al. The role of macrophages in aortic physiology and pathophysiology.. Frontiers in immunology. 2026; doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2026.1889403
YX Z, LQ J, YC T, et al. The role of macrophages in aortic physiology and pathophysiology.[J]. Frontiers in immunology. 2026. DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2026.1889403.
@article{yx2026,
author = {Zhang YX and Jiang LQ and Tian YC and Xue C and Bai BJ and Duan WX and Du X and Liu DJ and Xie HT and Nie TB},
title = {The role of macrophages in aortic physiology and pathophysiology.},
journal = {Frontiers in immunology},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.3389/fimmu.2026.1889403},
note = {PMID: 42597820},
}
TY - JOUR AU - Zhang YX AU - Jiang LQ AU - Tian YC AU - Xue C AU - Bai BJ AU - Duan WX AU - Du X AU - Liu DJ AU - Xie HT AU - Nie TB TI - The role of macrophages in aortic physiology and pathophysiology. T2 - Frontiers in immunology PY - 2026 DO - 10.3389/fimmu.2026.1889403 AN - PMID:42597820 ER -
The aorta is one of the major arterial vessels in the human body, serving as the principal conduit for the high-velocity blood ejected from the heart. For a long time, its function was largely understood in this limited hemodynamic context. However, with the advancement of research, its roles in metabolism, endocrine regulation, neurovascular modulation, and immune responses to stress have been increasingly recognized. Notably, the 2024 guidelines jointly issued by the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) have, for the first time, formally proposed that the aorta should be regarded as an "independent organ." This conceptual paradigm shift marks a new stage in the understanding of aortic biology and function. Macrophages are key components of the innate immune system and have attracted extensive attention due to their remarkable heterogeneity across diverse physiological and pathological conditions. In recent years, multiple macrophage subsets have been identified within the Aortic Physiology where they have been shown to play essential roles not only in vascular homeostasis but also in a wide spectrum of disease-related processes. This review systematically summarizes the roles of macrophages in both the physiological and pathophysiological contexts of the aorta, with the aim of providing new insights and potential directions for future research, as well as novel perspectives for the diagnosis and treatment of aortic diseases.