Macrophages are vital tissue components involved in organogenesis, maintaining homeostasis, and responses to disease. Mouse models have significantly improved our understanding of macrophages. Further investigations into the characteristics and development of human macrophages are crucial, considering the substantial anatomical and physiological distinctions between mice and humans. Despite challenges in human macrophage research, recent studies are shedding light on the ontogeny and function of human macrophages. In this opinion, we propose combinations of cutting-edge approaches to examine the diversity, development, niche, and function of human tissue-resident macrophages. These methodologies can facilitate our exploration of human macrophages more efficiently, ideally providing new therapeutic avenues for macrophage-relevant disorders.

巨噬细胞是参与器官发生、维持体内平衡和疾病反应的重要组织成分。小鼠模型显着提高了我们对巨噬细胞的理解。考虑到小鼠和人类之间在解剖学和生理学上的显着差异，进一步研究人类巨噬细胞的特征和发育至关重要。尽管人类巨噬细胞研究面临挑战，但最近的研究正在揭示人类巨噬细胞的个体发育和功能。在这个观点中，我们提出了结合尖端方法来检查人体组织驻留巨噬细胞的多样性、发育、生态位和功能。这些方法可以促进我们更有效地探索人类巨噬细胞，理想地为巨噬细胞相关疾病提供新的治疗途径。