Dysregulated macrophage immunity in Helicobacter pylori infection: unveiling mechanistic insights and therapeutic implications

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a microaerophilic, gram-negative spirochete that primarily colonizes the human gastric mucosa. It is strongly linked to gastritis, ulcers, and the development of malignant tumors. Macrophages, as one of the key components of the innate immune system, play a crucial...

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Main Authors: Miao Xiang, Panpan Li, Xiaofei Yue, Linlin Liu, Linjing Wang, Nengjin Sun, Kaile Wang, Yuying Zhang, Hongyan Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-08-01
Series:Frontiers in Immunology
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1636768/full
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author Miao Xiang
Miao Xiang
Panpan Li
Panpan Li
Xiaofei Yue
Linlin Liu
Linlin Liu
Linjing Wang
Nengjin Sun
Nengjin Sun
Kaile Wang
Kaile Wang
Yuying Zhang
Hongyan Wang
Hongyan Wang
author_facet Miao Xiang
Miao Xiang
Panpan Li
Panpan Li
Xiaofei Yue
Linlin Liu
Linlin Liu
Linjing Wang
Nengjin Sun
Nengjin Sun
Kaile Wang
Kaile Wang
Yuying Zhang
Hongyan Wang
Hongyan Wang
author_sort Miao Xiang
collection DOAJ
description Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a microaerophilic, gram-negative spirochete that primarily colonizes the human gastric mucosa. It is strongly linked to gastritis, ulcers, and the development of malignant tumors. Macrophages, as one of the key components of the innate immune system, play a crucial role in maintaining immune homeostasis through a range of functions, including pathogen phagocytosis, antigen recognition and presentation, inflammation regulation and tumor immune surveillance. Emerging evidence suggests that H. pylori employs diverse molecular mechanisms to evade immune clearance by macrophages. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of how H. pylori infection modulates macrophage functions, including impairing pathogen recognition and phagocytosis, disrupting phagosome maturation and reducing immune clearance capacity. Furthermore, H. pylori infection skews macrophage polarization to promote chronic inflammatory damage, inhibits antigen processing and presentation to evade adaptive immune responses and induces macrophage apoptosis via activation of apoptotic signaling pathways. By unraveling the complex molecular interactions between H. pylori and macrophages, this review highlights strategies for reprogramming macrophage functions, offering innovative approaches to address the limitations of conventional antimicrobial therapies and advancing targeted therapeutic interventions for H. pylori-associated diseases.
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issn 1664-3224
language English
publishDate 2025-08-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Immunology
spelling doaj-art-fbc172abf16f423b9fec4e4d6f3ea5962025-08-20T03:23:16ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Immunology1664-32242025-08-011610.3389/fimmu.2025.16367681636768Dysregulated macrophage immunity in Helicobacter pylori infection: unveiling mechanistic insights and therapeutic implicationsMiao Xiang0Miao Xiang1Panpan Li2Panpan Li3Xiaofei Yue4Linlin Liu5Linlin Liu6Linjing Wang7Nengjin Sun8Nengjin Sun9Kaile Wang10Kaile Wang11Yuying Zhang12Hongyan Wang13Hongyan Wang14Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Inflammatory Disease Research in Universities of Shandong Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, ChinaDepartment of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, ChinaKey Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Inflammatory Disease Research in Universities of Shandong Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, ChinaDepartment of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, ChinaRehabilitation Pharmacy Center, Beijing Rehabilitation Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, ChinaKey Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Inflammatory Disease Research in Universities of Shandong Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, ChinaDepartment of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, ChinaDepartment of Oncology, China-Japan Union Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, ChinaKey Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Inflammatory Disease Research in Universities of Shandong Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, ChinaDepartment of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, ChinaKey Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Inflammatory Disease Research in Universities of Shandong Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, ChinaDepartment of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, ChinaDepartment of Gastroenterology, Weifang People’s Hospital, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, ChinaKey Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Inflammatory Disease Research in Universities of Shandong Province, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, ChinaDepartment of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, ChinaHelicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a microaerophilic, gram-negative spirochete that primarily colonizes the human gastric mucosa. It is strongly linked to gastritis, ulcers, and the development of malignant tumors. Macrophages, as one of the key components of the innate immune system, play a crucial role in maintaining immune homeostasis through a range of functions, including pathogen phagocytosis, antigen recognition and presentation, inflammation regulation and tumor immune surveillance. Emerging evidence suggests that H. pylori employs diverse molecular mechanisms to evade immune clearance by macrophages. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of how H. pylori infection modulates macrophage functions, including impairing pathogen recognition and phagocytosis, disrupting phagosome maturation and reducing immune clearance capacity. Furthermore, H. pylori infection skews macrophage polarization to promote chronic inflammatory damage, inhibits antigen processing and presentation to evade adaptive immune responses and induces macrophage apoptosis via activation of apoptotic signaling pathways. By unraveling the complex molecular interactions between H. pylori and macrophages, this review highlights strategies for reprogramming macrophage functions, offering innovative approaches to address the limitations of conventional antimicrobial therapies and advancing targeted therapeutic interventions for H. pylori-associated diseases.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1636768/fullHelicobacter pylorimacrophagesphagocytosisinflammationantigen presentationimmunomodulation
spellingShingle Miao Xiang
Miao Xiang
Panpan Li
Panpan Li
Xiaofei Yue
Linlin Liu
Linlin Liu
Linjing Wang
Nengjin Sun
Nengjin Sun
Kaile Wang
Kaile Wang
Yuying Zhang
Hongyan Wang
Hongyan Wang
Dysregulated macrophage immunity in Helicobacter pylori infection: unveiling mechanistic insights and therapeutic implications
Frontiers in Immunology
Helicobacter pylori
macrophages
phagocytosis
inflammation
antigen presentation
immunomodulation
title Dysregulated macrophage immunity in Helicobacter pylori infection: unveiling mechanistic insights and therapeutic implications
title_full Dysregulated macrophage immunity in Helicobacter pylori infection: unveiling mechanistic insights and therapeutic implications
title_fullStr Dysregulated macrophage immunity in Helicobacter pylori infection: unveiling mechanistic insights and therapeutic implications
title_full_unstemmed Dysregulated macrophage immunity in Helicobacter pylori infection: unveiling mechanistic insights and therapeutic implications
title_short Dysregulated macrophage immunity in Helicobacter pylori infection: unveiling mechanistic insights and therapeutic implications
title_sort dysregulated macrophage immunity in helicobacter pylori infection unveiling mechanistic insights and therapeutic implications
topic Helicobacter pylori
macrophages
phagocytosis
inflammation
antigen presentation
immunomodulation
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1636768/full
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