CD47 decline in pancreatic islet cells promotes macrophage-mediated phagocytosis in type I diabetes

Figure 4 Hypothetical model of CD47-SIRPα-regulated inhibition phagocytosis in STZ-induced diabetes. Normally, CD47 is universally expressed on pancreatic islet beta cells. CD47-SIRPα interaction effectively governs macrophage phagocytosis toward healthy self-cells by a “not attach-self” default mode. With the stimulation of STZ, macrophages infiltrate into the pancreatic islet and phagocytose cells when CD47-SIRPα interaction could not be maintained under inflammation condition. “Eat me” signal is transferred with declined expression of CD47 on pancreatic islet cells. CD47: Cluster of differentiation 47; SIRPα: Signal regulatory protein α.