A physiological role for a"-HS glycoprotein: stimulation of macrophage uptake of apoptotic cells

This comment describes the study by Jersmann and co-workers in this issue of Clinical Science reporting the results of a study of the role of the serum glycoprotein fetuin in the uptake of apoptotic cells by macrophages. They show that fetuin is able to stimulate the macropinocytosis of apoptotic cells in vivo, which would be therapeutically useful following chemotherapy when the increased numbers of apoptotic cells could exceed the capacity of the macrophage network.