Reframing macrophage polarization through cholesterol efflux: an organelle-coupled immunometabolic model
Ya Zou, Yun Lu, Lu Zhou, Qinchuan Li, Hua Wei, Yan Zhou, Shibo Lin, Xirui Guo, Shihao Yan, Hongju Wang, Fangqing Xie, Chun Liu · 2026
Read Reframing macrophage polarization through cholesterol efflux: an organelle-coupled immunometabolic model by Ya Zou, Yun Lu, Lu Zhou, Qinchuan Li, Hua Wei, Yan Zhou, Shibo Lin, Xirui Guo, Shihao Yan, Hongju Wang, Fangqing Xie, Chun Liu (2026) in the Tower of Babel, a free online library of public-domain works preserved in clean, searchable text. No sign-up. The full text is served as a plain-text file at a predictable URL, where text is present: https://antarctic-labs.com/tower-of-babel/PMC13437365.txt.
Description
Ya Zou and a large team argue the standard two-box view of macrophage behavior hides why these immune cells fail in chronic disease. The old model sorts macrophages into attack mode or repair mode. Their 2026 framework claims the true control lies in cholesterol handling. A cell that cannot ship out excess cholesterol slowly loses its balance, and that failure drives its harmful state rather than merely following it.
Evidence they cite shows that restoring cholesterol outflow can flip an inflamed cell back toward calm. Two cell compartments sit at the heart of the model: mitochondria, which supply energy, and lysosomes, which process waste and fat. Gene switches, small RNA regulators, and chemical marks on DNA then lock the broken state in place, across diseases like clogged arteries and diabetic kidney damage. The authors favor therapies that repair the cell's inner machinery over those that only damp inflammation.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Ya Zou, Yun Lu, Lu Zhou, Qinchuan Li, Hua Wei, Yan Zhou, Shibo Lin, Xirui Guo, Shihao Yan, Hongju Wang, Fangqing Xie, Chun Liu |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 52490 |
| LICENSE | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |