Macrophages (MPs) are one of the most prominent leukocyte populations in the lung and, in many ways, a forgotten player in asthma pathogenesis. Diverse functions in asthma initiation and maintenance in chronic disease have been demonstrated, which has led to confusion as to if pulmonary MPs are agents of good or evil in asthma. Much of this is due to the wide diversity of MP populations in the lung, many of which are inaccessible experimentally in most clinical studies. This review frames lung MP biology in the context of location, phenotype, function, and response phase in asthma pathogenesis. It also assesses new findings regarding MP diversity that have challenged old dogmas and generates new ways to understand how MPs function.
Keywords: alveolar macrophage; asthma; macrophage.