Current Status of M1 and M2 Macrophages Pathway as Drug Targets for Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal system is mediated by both the immune system activity and homeostasis, mainly through releasing of various cytokines and chemokines, as well as the transmigration of the inflammatory cells to the affected site. In between, macrophages are key mediators of the immune system, nearly located all over the gastrointestinal tract. Macrophages have vital influence on the inflammatory condition with both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory functions. Their polarization status has been linked to numerous metabolic disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The equilibrium between the phenotypes and functions of inflammatory M1 and anti-inflammatory M2 cells is regulated by both extracellular and intracellular stimuli, determining how the disease progresses. Thereby, factors that interchange such balance in the direction of increasing M2 macrophages offer unique approaches for future management of IBD. This study reflects the novel IBD treatment targets via the immune system’s pathway, reporting the latest treatments that regulate the M1/M2 macrophages distribution in a way to favor IBD.