Resident and Monocyte-Derived Macrophages in Cardiovascular Disease

Macrophages are ubiquitous cells that reside in all major tissues. Counter to long-held beliefs, we now know that resident macrophages in many organs are seeded during embryonic development and self-renew independently from blood monocytes. Under inflammatory conditions, those tissue macrophages are joined and sometimes replaced by recruited monocyte-derived macrophages. Macrophage function in steady state and disease depends on not only their developmental origin but also the tissue environment. Here, we discuss the ontogeny, function, and interplay of tissue-resident and monocyte-derived macrophages in various organs contributing to the development and progression of cardiovascular disease.