TNFα-stimulated gene-6 (TSG6) activates macrophage phenotype transition to prevent inflammatory lung injury

Abstract

Significance We found that TNFα-stimulated gene-6 (TSG6), a secreted 30-kDa immunomodulatory protein, resolved LPS-induced inflammatory lung injury by shifting macrophages from a proinflammatory to an anti-inflammatory phenotype. Macrophages from mice genetically deficient in TSG6 failed to transition, demonstrating the essential role of TSG6 in mediating macrophage plasticity. The finding that TSG6 induced the marked transition in anti-inflammatory macrophages lays the foundation for its therapeutic application.