The daily removal of billions of apoptotic cells in the human body via the process of efferocytosis is essential for homeostasis. To allow for this continuous efferocytosis, rapid phenotypic changes occur in the phagocytes enabling them to engulf and digest the apoptotic cargo. In addition, efferocytosis is actively anti-inflammatory and promotes resolution. Owing to its ubiquitous nature and the sheer volume of cell turnover, efferocytosis is a point of vulnerability. Aberrations in efferocytosis are associated with numerous inflammatory pathologies, including atherosclerosis, cancer and infections. The recent exciting discoveries defining the molecular machinery involved in efferocytosis have opened many avenues for therapeutic intervention, with several agents now in clinical trials.

每天通过胞吐作用清除人体内数十亿个凋亡细胞对于体内平衡至关重要。为了实现这种持续的胞吞作用，吞噬细胞发生快速的表型变化，使它们能够吞噬并消化凋亡的货物。此外，胞吞作用具有积极的抗炎作用并促进消退。由于其普遍存在的性质和细胞周转量巨大，胞吞作用是一个脆弱点。胞吞作用的异常与许多炎症病理有关，包括动脉粥样硬化、癌症和感染。最近令人兴奋的发现定义了胞吞作用所涉及的分子机制，为治疗干预开辟了许多途径，目前有几种药物正在进行临床试验。