Mutations in MAFB that cause Multicentric Carpo Tarsal Osteolysis (MCTO) affect the transcriptome of M-MØ

Macrophage phenotypic and functional heterogeneity derives from tissue-specific transcriptional signatures shaped by the local microenvironment. Most studies addressing the molecular basis for macrophage heterogeneity have focused on murine cells, while the factors controlling the functional specialization of human macrophages are less known. M-CSF drives the generation of human monocyte-derived macrophages with a potent anti-inflammatory activity upon stimulation. The contribution of MAFB to the homeostatic/anti-inflammatory macrophage profile is further supported by the skewed polarization of monocyte-derived macrophages from Multicentric Carpo Tarsal Osteolysis (OMIM#166300), a pathology caused by mutations in the MAFB gene. mRNA profiles of human macrophages differentiated with M-CSF from peripheral blood monocytes from one patient with MCTO and two healthy donors.