The critical roles of IGFs in immune modulation and inflammation.

• IGFs have immunoregulatory properties in tissue inflammation. • IGFs modulate macrophage phenotype and function, promoting anti-inflammatory responses and tissue repair. • IGFs regulate T cell development, function, and balance between Th17 and Tregs. • IGFs provide new therapeutic targets for treating inflammatory diseases and cancer. Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) are crucial for embryonic and postnatal growth and development, influencing cell survival, metabolism, myogenesis, and cancer progression. Many studies have demonstrated that IGFs also play prominent roles in the modulation of both innate and adaptive immune systems during inflammation. Strikingly, IGFs dictate the phenotype and functional properties of macrophages and T cells. Furthermore, the interplay between IGFs and inflammatory cytokines may generate tissue-protective properties during inflammation. Herein, we review the recent advances on the dialogue between immune cells and IGFs, especially zooming in on the significance of immunomodulatory properties in inflammatory conditions, cancer and autoimmune diseases. The investigation of IGFs may have broad clinical implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]