Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering Commons^™

Reprogramming And Imaging Of Tumor Associated Macrophages Using Spuramolecular Nanoparticles, Anujan Ramesh

Doctoral Dissertations

Macrophages are highly plastic cells that are a part of the mononuclear phagocytic system and play a crucial role in both the innate and the adaptive immune systems. Although they have functionally diverse roles involved in physiological and pathological processes, they primarily act as phagocytes that aid in clearing infections. During these instances of tissue injury or infections, circulating monocytes are recruited to the site of the injury, where they differentiate to give rise to macrophages that have a pro-inflammatory function. These monocytes derived macrophages, however, exist across a spectrum of phenotypes based on the local tissue environment. The two …