Exploring Macrophage Responses: Award-Winning Breakthrough in Understanding Regenerative Models

Understanding how immune cells like macrophages respond to environmental signals is crucial for developing effective therapies. Fischell Department of Bioengineering (BIOE) researchers in Erika Moore’s lab recently published a study in Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering (CMBE) that explores how the structural framework that surrounds cells sends signals to macrophages, important immune cells that play a critical role in tissue repair and immune responses. This publication earned them the 2024 Young Innovator in Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering Award. Moore accepted the honor at the 2024 Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Annual Meeting, held this October in Baltimore, MD.

Moore’s research, funded by the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) CAREER grant, examines how macrophages—immune cells that help tissue repair and immune responses—respond to signals in their surrounding environment, called the extracellular matrix (ECM). Their study focused on a part of the ECM protein Laminin called YIGSR, and how this specific peptide affects macrophage behavior.

YIGSR–a short sequence of amino acids derived from Laminin–is a protein found in the extracellular matrix, which provides structural support to cells. YIGSR is known to affect how immune cells, including macrophages, behave. Macrophages are critical in controlling inflammation and promoting tissue repair. Moore’s team wanted to study how different concentrations of YIGSR influence macrophage responses, which could help explain how cells in the body decide whether to promote healing or trigger an immune reaction.

“We looked at the effects of different amounts of YIGSR on macrophages,” Moore explains. “We know that the amount of a molecule like YIGSR can make a big difference in how cells respond, so we wanted to see if increasing or decreasing the levels of YIGSR would change how macrophages act.”

With Aakanksha Jha, a postdoctoral fellow in the Moore Lab, the study revealed that altering the concentration of YIGSR had a significant impact on the behavior of macrophages. Higher concentrations of YIGSR were found to promote an inflammatory response, signaling the macrophages to produce proteins that increase inflammation. In contrast, lower concentrations of YIGSR encouraged macrophages to adopt a more repair-focused role, producing factors that aid in tissue regeneration.

This understanding of how YIGSR levels affect macrophage behavior could be useful for developing treatments aimed at controlling inflammation and promoting healing. Since macrophages are present in almost every tissue in the body, the ability to regulate their activity through molecules like YIGSR could lead to new therapeutic strategies.

By studying how ECM signals control macrophages, the research also provides a better understanding of how different factors, such as genetics or environment, might influence immune responses. This information could lead to treatments that are more personalized to each patient’s needs.

“Macrophages are everywhere in the body,” Moore says. “By figuring out how they respond to signals from the extracellular matrix, we can start to develop treatments that help manage inflammation and support tissue repair in a more precise way.”

Published December 9, 2024