Macrophage Isolation and Culture Service

• Human monocyte-derived macrophages

Tissue macrophages are not easily obtained and differentiated blood-derived monocytes are largely used as surrogate models. Human blood monocytes are commonly used as target cells for in vitro biomaterial tolerance evaluation. Fully mature macrophages can be generated in the presence of cytokines. The culture of human monocyte-derived macrophages represents a tool to study macrophages

• Human alveolar macrophages

Alveolar macrophages are unique in lung development and function, as well as their lung-localized responses to infection and inflammation. Alveolar macrophages can be purified from bronchoalveolar fluid by adhesion to tissue culture plastic. If resected lung tissue is available, alveolar macrophages can be generated by mechanically disrupting the lung parenchyma, followed by adhesion-mediated purification.

• Murine bone marrow-derived macrophages

Bone marrow-derived macrophages are primary macrophage cells derived from bone marrow cells in vitro in the presence of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) or macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF). M-CSF is responsible for the proliferation and differentiation of committed myeloid progenitors into cells of the macrophage/monocyte lineage. Once differentiated, these macrophages are suitable for morphological, gene expression, and physiological studies.

• Murine intestine macrophages

Macrophages play important roles in maintaining intestinal homeostasis via their ability to orchestrate responses to the normal microbiota as well as pathogens. One of the most important steps in beginning to understand the functions of these cells is the ability to effectively isolate them from the complex intestinal environment. Macrophages could be isolated from the mouse small and large intestine, and phenotypic characterization of these macrophages could be performed.

• Murine alveolar macrophages

Alveolar macrophages are terminally differentiated, lung-resident macrophages of prenatal origin. Because the lung is exposed to pathogens and various environmental stimuli, infections and inflammation in the lung are common. Alveolar macrophages are an important component of host defense against invading microorganisms, and they play a critical role in the initiation and the resolution of inflammation in the lung.

• Murine peritoneal macrophages

The peritoneal cavity provides an easily accessible site for harvesting moderate numbers of resident macrophages. Generally, macrophages isolated from the mouse peritoneal cavity will be mature quiescent macrophages. However, the yield is typically only about 0.5×10⁶ macrophages per mouse. This yield can be increased by injecting eliciting agents into peritoneum several days before cell harvest.