Mission: Target Technology  is committed to providing all individuals with the opportunity to get macrophages research experience. We offer technical expertise to advance comprehensive solutions to a broad range of macrophage research, with a particular focus on addressing the needs of macrophages isolation, enrichment, identification, depletion and trace.

Overview: Macrophages play an important role in immune and non-immune defence mechanisms. They form a first line of defence against bacterial, viral and other forms of microbiological contamination penetrating into the bodies of vertebrates. Macrophages are large cells, found in almost all bodily tissues where they can have varying forms and names (e.g. Kupffer cells, alveolar macrophages, microglia, osteoclasts, red pulp macrophages). Macrophages “scavenge”, they ingest and digest all foreign substances, microbes, cancer cells and cellular debris that might be potential pathogens. This process is called phagocytosis. Macrophages further regulate functions of many non-phagocytic cells, mainly through mediation of soluble molecules such as cytokines and chemokines. They are involved in innate immunity, adaptive immunity and can have (anti-) inflammatory effects.

Liposomes are artificially prepared spheres and consist of concentric phospholipid bilayers. When phospholipids are dispersed in water, the hydrophilic heads will make up both outer parts of the liposome, whereas the hydrophobic fatty acid groups will make up the inner part . Aqueous compartments separate the bilayers, and hydrophilic molecules can be dissolved in it, resulting in liposome-encapsulated molecules.

CLODRONATE-LOADED LIPOSOME: A liposome that contains the drug dichloromethylene diphosphonate. These liposomes are ingested by macrophages, resulting in cell death.

DiI-LABELLED LIPOSOME: A liposome that is labelled with the fluorochrome DiI (1,1′-dioctadecyl-3,3,3′,3′-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate). These liposomes are internalized by phagocytic cells, rendering the cells fluorescent.