Macrophages are central orchestrators of tissue remodeling, acting as sentinels that integrate metabolic, immunological, and niche-specific signals. Their remarkable plasticity allows them to switch between pro-inflammatory (M1) and pro-repair (M2) states, yet dysregulation of this balance underlies fibrosis, chronic inflammation, and cancer progression. This JoVE Collection aims to compile multiple methodological approaches to dissect how macrophages drive tissue remodeling through polarization dynamics, metabolic reprogramming, and crosstalk with the tumor microenvironment.

Key Topics Covered:

A. Macrophage Polarization and Functional Regulation: Protocols for inducing and characterizing M1 and M2 macrophage subsets in vitro and in vivo, including advanced imaging and flow cytometry strategies.

B. Metabolic Reprogramming of Macrophages: Techniques for assessing shifts in glycolysis, oxidative phosphorylation, ferroptosis, and lipid metabolism that regulate macrophage effector functions.

C. Tumor Associated Macrophages and Tumor Immunity: Methods for establishing tumor immune mouse models, co-culture systems with tumor cells, and functional assays for phagocytosis, T cell inhibition, and matrix remodeling.

D. Metabolites, Markers, and Detection Methods: Approaches using tissue staining, flow cytometry, and omics techniques to identify macrophage-specific metabolites and surface markers, as well as their interactions with tumor cells.