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ResearchIn-Press PreviewCell biologyHematology
Open Access |
10.1172/JCI201621
1State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
2Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
3Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, China
4HaemoCure Inc, Tianjin, China
Find articles by He, H. in: PubMed | Google Scholar
1State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
2Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
3Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, China
4HaemoCure Inc, Tianjin, China
Find articles by Ma, Y. in: PubMed | Google Scholar
1State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
2Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
3Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, China
4HaemoCure Inc, Tianjin, China
Find articles by Cai, Y. in: PubMed | Google Scholar
1State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
2Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
3Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, China
4HaemoCure Inc, Tianjin, China
Find articles by chen, x. in: PubMed | Google Scholar
1State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
2Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
3Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, China
4HaemoCure Inc, Tianjin, China
Find articles by Cheng, T. in: PubMed | Google Scholar
1State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
2Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
3Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, China
4HaemoCure Inc, Tianjin, China
Find articles by Huo, Z. in: PubMed | Google Scholar
1State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
2Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
3Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, China
4HaemoCure Inc, Tianjin, China
Find articles by Guo, S. in: PubMed | Google Scholar
1State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
2Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
3Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, China
4HaemoCure Inc, Tianjin, China
Find articles by Xia, M. in: PubMed | Google Scholar
1State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
2Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
3Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, China
4HaemoCure Inc, Tianjin, China
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1State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
2Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
3Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, China
4HaemoCure Inc, Tianjin, China
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1State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
2Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
3Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, China
4HaemoCure Inc, Tianjin, China
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1State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
2Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
3Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, China
4HaemoCure Inc, Tianjin, China
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1State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
2Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
3Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, China
4HaemoCure Inc, Tianjin, China
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1State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
2Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
3Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, China
4HaemoCure Inc, Tianjin, China
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1State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
2Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
3Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, China
4HaemoCure Inc, Tianjin, China
Find articles by Wang, F. in: PubMed | Google Scholar
1State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
2Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
3Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, China
4HaemoCure Inc, Tianjin, China
Find articles by Liu, C. in: PubMed | Google Scholar
1State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
2Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
3Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, China
4HaemoCure Inc, Tianjin, China
Find articles by Wang, H. in: PubMed | Google Scholar
1State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
2Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
3Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, China
4HaemoCure Inc, Tianjin, China
Find articles by Zhou, J. in: PubMed | Google Scholar
Published September 29, 2026 - More info
Recent studies have revealed that, beyond their classical role in platelet production, megakaryocytes (MKs) express immune-related genes and exert important immunoregulatory functions. However, it remains unclear whether these functions arise from a single versatile population or from distinct specialized subtypes, and how such subtypes influence infection and inflammation. Here, we identified three specialized immune MK subtypes (imm-MKs)—macrophage-like MKs (Mac-MKs), neutrophil-like MKs (Neu-MKs), and antigen-presenting MKs (APC-MKs)—each defined by distinct transcriptional programs and regulatory networks, with comparable heterogeneity observed in human MKs. Developmental analyses showed that MK immune-related programs increased with maturation and that immune MK subtypes exhibited distinct tissue- and stage-dependent patterns. Functionally, MK subtypes exhibited phase-specific responses during bacterial pneumonia: early infection preferentially induced Mac-MKs and Neu-MKs, which contributed to pulmonary inflammation, whereas during the post-peak acute-to-early-recovery stage, APC-MKs supported a Treg-associated regulatory program that contributed to pulmonary inflammatory control. This MK–Treg axis uncovers a previously unrecognized mechanism of hematopoietic–immune crosstalk. Collectively, our study delineates organ- and stage-specific immune specialization of MKs and identifies immune MK subtypes as dynamic contributors to phase-specific inflammatory and Treg-linked regulatory programs during development and infection.