The potential of efferocytosis for the treatment of bronchial asthma: A review of current trends, mechanisms and prospects

As a chronic inflammatory disease of the lungs, bronchial asthma is closely associated with three key characteristics: airway inflammation, airway hyperresponsiveness, and airway remodeling. The long-term infiltration of multiple inflammatory cells into the airway interstitium results in damage to t...

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Main Authors: Baohe Liu, Tingting Zu, Yaqi Lu, Chaopin Xing, Meng Gao, Fuling Wu, Mengqi Jiang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-09-01
Series:Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405580825002481
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author Baohe Liu
Tingting Zu
Yaqi Lu
Chaopin Xing
Meng Gao
Fuling Wu
Mengqi Jiang
author_facet Baohe Liu
Tingting Zu
Yaqi Lu
Chaopin Xing
Meng Gao
Fuling Wu
Mengqi Jiang
author_sort Baohe Liu
collection DOAJ
description As a chronic inflammatory disease of the lungs, bronchial asthma is closely associated with three key characteristics: airway inflammation, airway hyperresponsiveness, and airway remodeling. The long-term infiltration of multiple inflammatory cells into the airway interstitium results in damage to the airway epithelial barrier. Macrophages, as the primary immune cells responsible for the clearance of damaged and apoptotic cells from the asthmatic airways, phagocytose asthmatic cells through a series of efferocytosis phases, including the “find me,” “eat me,” and “digest” phases. This process, which involves the phagocytosis of apoptotic inflammatory and epithelial cells, serves to reduce airway epithelial damage and protect immune homeostasis. However, the cytosolic burial process of macrophages in asthma patients often exhibits dysfunctions, including reduced phagocytic efficiency, disorders of cytosolic burial signaling molecules, and the activation of airway inflammation. These impede the clearance process of inflammatory cells from the airway epithelium and necessitate the formation of temporary protective barriers. Barriers are formed through epithelial-mesenchymal transition, which impairs the regenerative capacity of the damaged epithelium and its barrier function, leading to an imbalance in epithelial-mesenchymal homeostasis. This, in turn, results in the occurrence of airway remodeling, which further exacerbates the process of asthma development. Intact and efficient efferocytosis serves as a critical regulatory mechanism in maintaining inflammatory homeostasis and suppressing epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Therapeutic modulation of macrophage-mediated efferocytosis represents a promising strategy for bronchial asthma intervention. In this paper, we present an overview of the specific stages of efferocytosis and the molecular mechanisms underlying the defects in efferocytosis.
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spelling doaj-art-e26eeb94a51d4864a2cf8d7e4323b78b2025-08-20T03:51:14ZengElsevierBiochemistry and Biophysics Reports2405-58082025-09-014310216110.1016/j.bbrep.2025.102161The potential of efferocytosis for the treatment of bronchial asthma: A review of current trends, mechanisms and prospectsBaohe Liu0Tingting Zu1Yaqi Lu2Chaopin Xing3Meng Gao4Fuling Wu5Mengqi Jiang6Pediatrics Department, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, 256600, ChinaPediatrics Department, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, 256600, ChinaSchool of Pharmacy, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, ChinaPediatrics Department, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, 256600, ChinaPediatrics Department, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, 256600, ChinaPediatrics Department, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, 256600, China; Corresponding author. Pediatrics Department, Binzhou Medical University Hospital, Binzhou, 256600, China.Department of Cellular and Genetic Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, China; Corresponding author.As a chronic inflammatory disease of the lungs, bronchial asthma is closely associated with three key characteristics: airway inflammation, airway hyperresponsiveness, and airway remodeling. The long-term infiltration of multiple inflammatory cells into the airway interstitium results in damage to the airway epithelial barrier. Macrophages, as the primary immune cells responsible for the clearance of damaged and apoptotic cells from the asthmatic airways, phagocytose asthmatic cells through a series of efferocytosis phases, including the “find me,” “eat me,” and “digest” phases. This process, which involves the phagocytosis of apoptotic inflammatory and epithelial cells, serves to reduce airway epithelial damage and protect immune homeostasis. However, the cytosolic burial process of macrophages in asthma patients often exhibits dysfunctions, including reduced phagocytic efficiency, disorders of cytosolic burial signaling molecules, and the activation of airway inflammation. These impede the clearance process of inflammatory cells from the airway epithelium and necessitate the formation of temporary protective barriers. Barriers are formed through epithelial-mesenchymal transition, which impairs the regenerative capacity of the damaged epithelium and its barrier function, leading to an imbalance in epithelial-mesenchymal homeostasis. This, in turn, results in the occurrence of airway remodeling, which further exacerbates the process of asthma development. Intact and efficient efferocytosis serves as a critical regulatory mechanism in maintaining inflammatory homeostasis and suppressing epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Therapeutic modulation of macrophage-mediated efferocytosis represents a promising strategy for bronchial asthma intervention. In this paper, we present an overview of the specific stages of efferocytosis and the molecular mechanisms underlying the defects in efferocytosis.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405580825002481EfferocytosisBronchial asthmaEpithelial cellsMacrophages
spellingShingle Baohe Liu
Tingting Zu
Yaqi Lu
Chaopin Xing
Meng Gao
Fuling Wu
Mengqi Jiang
The potential of efferocytosis for the treatment of bronchial asthma: A review of current trends, mechanisms and prospects
Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports
Efferocytosis
Bronchial asthma
Epithelial cells
Macrophages
title The potential of efferocytosis for the treatment of bronchial asthma: A review of current trends, mechanisms and prospects
title_full The potential of efferocytosis for the treatment of bronchial asthma: A review of current trends, mechanisms and prospects
title_fullStr The potential of efferocytosis for the treatment of bronchial asthma: A review of current trends, mechanisms and prospects
title_full_unstemmed The potential of efferocytosis for the treatment of bronchial asthma: A review of current trends, mechanisms and prospects
title_short The potential of efferocytosis for the treatment of bronchial asthma: A review of current trends, mechanisms and prospects
title_sort potential of efferocytosis for the treatment of bronchial asthma a review of current trends mechanisms and prospects
topic Efferocytosis
Bronchial asthma
Epithelial cells
Macrophages
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405580825002481
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