COLEC12 (collectin subfamily member 12) functions as a scavenger receptor with diverse roles in innate immunity, inflammation regulation, and disease pathogenesis. As a pattern recognition receptor, COLEC12 binds various carbohydrates in a calcium-dependent manner and promotes phagocytosis of bacteria and yeast 1. The protein serves as a high-affinity ligand for LAIR1, regulating monocyte and macrophage homeostasis through stromal sensing mechanisms that influence survival, proliferation, and differentiation pathways 1. COLEC12 exhibits tissue-specific expression patterns, with matrix-sensing macrophage subsets showing COLEC12high expression in synovial tissues 2. In disease contexts, COLEC12 demonstrates significant clinical relevance across multiple conditions. Elevated COLEC12 levels associate with cardiorespiratory symptoms in long COVID patients 3 and correlate with Alzheimer's disease progression, showing dysregulation in both brain cortex and peripheral blood 45. In cancer, COLEC12 promotes tumor progression in osteosarcoma through TLR4-mediated inflammatory pathways 6 and correlates with poor prognosis in gastric cancer 7. Additionally, urinary COLEC12 levels positively correlate with renal dysfunction and histological damage in IgA nephropathy 8, suggesting its potential as a biomarker for disease monitoring and therapeutic targeting.