Efferocytosis and Autoimmune Disease

Overview

Journal Int Immunol

Specialty Allergy & Immunology

Date 2018 Aug 31

PMID 30165442

Citations 39

Authors

Mahiru Kawano

Shigekazu Nagata

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

An enormous number of cells in the body die by apoptosis during development and under homeostasis. Apoptotic cells are swiftly engulfed by macrophages and digested into units. This removal of apoptotic cells is called 'efferocytosis'. For efferocytosis, macrophages recognize phosphatidylserine (PtdSer) exposed on the cell surface as an 'eat me' signal. In healthy cells, PtdSer is exclusively localized to the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane by the action of flippases. When cells undergo apoptosis, caspase cleaves flippases to inactivate them, while it cleaves pro-scramblases to active scramblases, which quickly translocate PtdSer to the cell surface. The PtdSer is then recognized by PtdSer-binding proteins or by PtdSer receptors on macrophages, which subsequently engulf the apoptotic cells. When efferocytosis fails, apoptotic cells can rupture, releasing cellular materials that can evoke an autoimmune response. Thus, a defect in the PtdSer-exposing or PtdSer-recognizing processes triggers autoimmunity, leading to a systemic lupus erythematosus-type autoimmune disease.

Citing Articles

Efferocytosis and inflammation: a bibliometric and systematic analysis.

Cao X, Li F, Xie X, Ling G, Tang X, He W Front Med (Lausanne). 2025; 12:1498503.

PMID: 39995691 PMC: 11847848. DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1498503.

Efferocytosis-related gene IL33 predicts prognosis and immune response and mediates proliferation and migration and of breast cancer.

He X, Cheng X, Zhang Z, Chen L, Xie C, Tang M Front Pharmacol. 2025; 16:1533571.

PMID: 39911848 PMC: 11794308. DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1533571.

Phytochemical-mediated efferocytosis and autophagy in inflammation control.

Vafadar A, Tajbakhsh A, Hosseinpour-Soleimani F, Savardshtaki A, Hashempur M Cell Death Discov. 2024; 10(1):493.

PMID: 39695119 PMC: 11655565. DOI: 10.1038/s41420-024-02254-2.

Macrophage WDFY3, a protector against autoimmunity.

Wu X, Wang Z, Croce K, Li F, Cui J, DAgati V bioRxiv. 2024; .

PMID: 39229152 PMC: 11370343. DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.17.608411.

Clearing the Path: Exploring Apoptotic Cell Clearance in Inflammatory and Autoimmune Disorders for Therapeutic Advancements.

Ghorbanzadeh S, Khojini J, Abouali R, Alimardan S, Zahedi M, Tahershamsi Z Mol Biotechnol. 2024; .

PMID: 38935260 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-024-01222-6.

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