Abstract
Macrophages are specialized but versatile cells that participate in a range of physiological and immune related processes. The macrophage repertoire of coding and regulatory RNA provides tools to understand cell identity, cell function, role in disease, and ultimately define cell specific therapeutic targets. Modern tools make it possible to quantify and compare global RNA levels. With this vast information a neologism of the decade, the suffix “ome” has been combined with “transcript” to form “transcriptome,” a new word to define the totality of transcripts that characterize a cell. In this chapter we discuss the macrophage transcriptome and how its definition is contributing to a deeper understanding of this cell identity and function.