Lipid-dependent accrual of a subset of monocyte-derived macrophages is essential for tissue regeneration

Abstract

Tissue regeneration is essential for maintaining tissue homoeostasis and influences disease progression. In the liver, injury evokes a complex regenerative response with robust immune activation and metabolic rewiring, yet how these processes coordinate hepatocyte proliferation remains unclear. Here we show the presence of an injury-induced, lipid-dependent accrual of a distinct monocyte-derived macrophage (MDM) subset characterized by abundant cytosolic lipid content and heightened inflammatory response. Multi-omic analyses, spanning both single-cell transcriptomics and quantitative lipidomics, unveil substantial cellular diversity and heterogeneity between these 'lipo-inflammatory MDMs' (termed LIMMs) and other hepatic macrophages, including Kupffer cells. Blocking CD36-dependent LIMM induction markedly impairs hepatocyte proliferation and liver regeneration in injured livers. Mechanistically, CD36-mediated increase in ceramide biosynthesis activates IRE1α-XBP1 signalling pathway in LIMMs, driving production of the regenerative cytokine interleukin-6. Disrupting CD36-dependent IRE1α activation in LIMMs compromises liver repair. These findings identify a lipid-laden MDM subcluster as a key regulator of regenerative inflammation in injured livers.