ReviewFrontiers in immunology2026
Testicular macrophages: core immune regulators and emerging therapeutic targets in spermatogenic dysfunction.
Review in Frontiers in immunology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Investigation of testicular METRNL and RARRES2 expression in non-obstructive azoospermia.Journal of applied genetics · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Spermatogenic dysfunction is one of the leading causes of male infertility, mainly including non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) and abnormalities in sperm count or quality. As an immune-privileged organ, the testis relies heavily on immune homeostasis to sustain spermatogenesis, with testicular macrophages playing a central regulatory role in this process. Under normal physiological conditions, testicular macrophages predominantly exhibit immune tolerance-related phenotypes, regulate local inflammatory responses, maintain immune privilege, and contribute to hormonal homeostasis, all of which collectively support spermatogenesis. However, during spermatogenic dysfunction, significant alterations occur in the number, distribution, functional status, and signaling pathways of testicular macrophages. Aberrant activation of inflammation-related signaling pathways in macrophages and imbalance in immune regulation can induce chronic low-grade inflammation, disrupt the spermatogenic microenvironment, and further exacerbate spermatogenic dysfunction. In recent years, with the advancement of reproductive immunology and single-cell RNA sequencing technologies, numerous studies have highlighted the critical role of testicular macrophages in spermatogenic dysfunction and explored potential therapeutic strategies targeting these cells. Nevertheless, the existing body of research is fragmented, lacking systematic reviews and comprehensive integration. This review aims to provide a comprehensive synthesis of the developmental origins and functional heterogeneity of testicular macrophages and to discuss their mechanistic roles in various male spermatogenic dysfunctions. Furthermore, we review the current therapeutic advances targeting testicular macrophages and discuss the main challenges and future research directions in this field. Our study provides theoretical insights for the mechanistic study of male spermatogenic dysfunction and the development of precision intervention strategies.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.