Trained immunity (TI), also known as innate immune memory, is the long-term change in the functional program of innate immune cells after transient stimulation through epigenetic and metabolic alterations. This reprogramming augments the response to secondary challenges fueled by various stimulus and contributes to the resistance of cancer, infectious diseases, auto-inflammatory disorders, and other diseases. Macrophages, which are versatile innate immune cells with remarkable plasticity, can adapt to different microenvironments and perform diverse functions. TI of macrophages has been deeply involved in pathogen infection. However, current understandings in the effect of TI are still incomplete and require further investigation and summarization. In this review, we summarized the existing knowledge in this field including the hallmark and mechanism of TI, its impact on health and disease, as well as the potential as a therapeutic tool. This study provides new perspectives for a comprehensive insight of TI.
Keywords: Autoimmune diseases.; Cancer; Infectious disease; Macrophage; TI.
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