| Institution: | Department of Ophthalmology, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan Province, China; Hunan Clinical Research Center of Ophthalmic Disease, Changsha 410011, Hunan Province, China,Department of Ophthalmology, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan,Department of Ophthalmology, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan Province, China; Hunan Clinical Research Center of Ophthalmic Disease, Changsha 410011, Hunan Province, China,Department of Ophthalmology, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan,Department of Ophthalmology, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan Province, China; Hunan Clinical Research Center of Ophthalmic Disease, Changsha 410011, Hunan Province, China and Department of Ophthalmology, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan Province, China; Hunan Clinical Research Center of Ophthalmic Disease, Changsha 410011, Hunan Province, China |
| Abstract: | Macrophages are involved in angiogenesis, and might also contribute to the pathogenesis of intraocular neovascular diseases. Recent studies indicated that macrophages exert different functions in the process of intraocular neovascularization, and the polarization of M1 and M2 phenotypes plays extremely essential roles in the diverse functions of macrophages. Moreover, a large number of cytokines released by macrophages not only participate in macrophage polarization, but also associate with retinal and choroidal neovascular diseases. Therefore, macrophage might be considered as a novel therapeutic target to the treatment of pathological neovascularization in the eye. This review mainly summarizes diverse roles of macrophages and discusses the possible mechanisms in retinal and choroidal neovascularization. |
