Interferon-regulatory factors regulate macrophage polarization and its role in diseases

Macrophages are highly plastic and heterogeneous. In different types of inflammatory diseases, or at different stages of the same disease, macrophages can undergo phenotypic transformation to elicit different functions. Hence, exploring new regulatory mechanism of macrophage polarization and seeking for new key mediators will lay the foundation for the diagnosis and treatment of macrophage-related diseases, such as inflammatory diseases, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. Interferon regulatory factors (IRFs) have been reported to play an important role in the maturation and differentiation of macrophages. In this review, we will describe the structure and modulation pattern of IRFs, and then further summarize the molecular mechanism and signal regulation network of IRFs in pathological processes of related diseases through controlling macrophage polarization. Our review will explore the new therapeutic strategy and potential drug targets for related diseases.