Dying for a Cause: Regulated Necrosis of Tissue-Resident Macrophages upon Infection

International audienceWe celebrated in 2016 the centenary of the death of Ilya Ilitch Metchnikov (1845–1916), the founding father of innate immunology. His studies on the description of macrophages, their phagocytic function, and their key role in eliminating microbes were recognized by the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine, and constitute a cornerstone of immunology (https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/1908/mechnikov-facts.html). Since then, macrophages are typically considered as tissue scavengers, that capture and destroy microbial intruders, thereby ensuring tissue protection and host defense against infections