Macrophage polarization refers to how macrophages have been activated at a given point in
space and time. Polarization is not fixed, as macrophages are sufficiently plastic to integrate
multiple signals, such as those from microbes, damaged tissues, and the normal tissue
environment. Three broad pathways control polarization: epigenetic and cell survival
pathways that prolong or shorten macrophage development and viability, the tissue
microenvironment, and extrinsic factors, such as microbial products and cytokines released …