Cell biology of macrophages role of purinergic P2X7 receptor in cell to cell communications and multinucleated giant cells formation

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Macrophages play a central role in immune responses and inflammatory reactions, and cell-to-cell communication is crucial in coordinating macrophage responses.One form of intercellular communication between macrophages involves direct cell-cell contact and macrophage fusion into multinucleated giant cells, a differentiation process associated with many chronic inflammatory disorders including M. Tuberculosis, sarcoidosis, Crohn's disease and foreign body reaction to implantation of prostheses and medical devices. To date, the mechanisms underlying the cell fusion process is unknown. Recent evidence including some from our laboratory, implicate the purinergic P2X7 receptor as an important effector of this differentiation process during inflammatory reactions. Our objective therefore is to elucidate the molecular and cell biology signalling cascades involved in P2X7-mediated multinucleated giant cells formation. Besides increasing our understanding of cell-to-cell communication in macrophages, such studies may provide a basis for novel therapeutic strategies aimed at interfering with intercellular communication leading to multinucleated giant cell formation and chronic inflammation.