A novel ex vivo approach for investigating profibrotic macrophage polarization using murine precision-cut lung slices

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is fatal interstitial lung disease characterized by excessive scarring of the lung tissue and declining respiratory function. Given its short prognosis and limited treatment options, novel strategies to investigate emerging experimental treatments are urgently needed. Macrophages, as the most abundant immune cell in the lung, have key implications in wound healing and lung fibrosis. However, they are highly …