Macrophages are white blood cells that play a key role in immunity and homeostasis. They act as first responders, ingesting foreign materials, microbes, and debris. Due to their importance, it is essential to characterize and study macrophage biology. Macrophage markers allow researchers to identify, isolate, track, and target these cells. There are two main types of macrophage markers. The first are cell surface markers, which are proteins expressed on the outer membrane of macrophages that can be detected using fluorescence-activated cell sorting or immunohistochemistry techniques. Common macrophage cell surface markers include CD68, CD14, CD163, and CD206. The second type are intracellular markers, which are proteins located inside macrophage cells.
Intracellular markers provide information about macrophage activation and function but require fixed and permeabilized cells. Cell surface markers have the advantage of allowing live cell analysis, isolation, and potentially targeting of macrophages. However, no single marker is specific enough to uniquely identify macrophages, and marker expression can change depending on activation state and tissue environment. Ideally, a combination of several markers is used to accurately characterize macrophage phenotypes and populations. The global market offers a wide variety of monoclonal antibodies against macrophage markers, aiding fundamental and applied research seeking new treatment strategies across medical conditions.
Market Dynamics
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