Souradip Mallick, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela
Nowadays abdominal surgery is very common and many patients undergo this operation to remove internal scar tissue. This scar is the accumulation of the macrophage which is a protective immune cell. But there are many postsurgical complications.
Lysis of adhesions destroys the scar tissue resulting in abdominal and chronic pelvic pain. The scar tissue which forms after surgery is simple a healing process but sometimes can also develop after an infection or a condition that causes inflammation, such as endometriosis.
For investigating the role of macrophage abdomen was stretched out to form a bulge like a hernia in the mice model and then the activity of cell was observed through a translucent tissue in the part of the abdomen. Then with a help of a laser, a small burn was induced on the abdominal wall.
Immediately after that burn, macrophages start to accumulate on the damaged area and interlaced with tough protein fibres and formed a cap to prevent the damaged area from other areas. The more the macrophage accumulates at that place faster the recovery would take place. If any molecule can be induced to prevent the accumulation of the macrophage then the recovery will be slowed down.
Metaphase: The rapid accumulation of macrophages in any damaged or burnt tissue results in fast recovery of the tissue making it a protective immune cell against further damage.
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Source: Mitch Leslie; “These bacteria-gobbling immune cells help the body heal—but also cause surgical complications”; ScienceMag.org; Mar. 4, 2021
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