Macrophages are cells in the immune system that belong to the phagocyte family, or so-called
scavenger cells. They reside in almost all tissues of the body, for example in the small intestine, liver, brain, and skin.
They include monocytes, which are large white blood cells that can differentiate into
scavenger cells macrophages and dendritic cells in response to inflammatory signals.
As it will be further discussed, glia are the
scavenger cells of the brain.
This amazing defense system deploys
scavenger cells that constantly travel throughout the body, identifying, and often digesting foreign substances that pose a threat to us.
The latest technology sees lasers used to break of particles of ink into tiny fragments, which are then taken away by
scavenger cells in the skin, causing the tattoo to fade and eventually disappear.
At the same time, a group of support cells called glia and
scavenger cells called microglia accumulated in the hypothalamus and appeared to become activated.
In the new study, 12 patients will be treated with healthy
scavenger cells, created in a laboratory from human embryonic stem cells.