Big Eaters of Immune System: New Therapeutic Targets for Heart Disease

New insights into cardiac macrophage functions are revealing pathways for therapeutic intervention.

Deep within the human heart, immune cells known as macrophages stand guard. Their name means "big eaters," but they are more than simple scavengers. They are key players in heart health, comprising nearly 10% of non-muscle cells in a healthy heart, and their numbers surge during disease.1 Cardiac macrophages exhibit a "Jekyll and Hyde" nature; they can …