Figure 8: DEK aptamers block NET formation by activated human neutrophils after 4 h of stimulation with PMA.

(a) Peripheral blood human neutrophils were obtained from healthy individuals and plated on glass coverslips. Aptamers to DEK were added at 50 ng to the neutrophil culture prior to PMA stimulation (10 ng ml⁻¹). Neutrophils were incubated for 4 h at 37 °C, then fixed and stained for NETs with anti-MPO antibodies (green) and DAPI for DNA (blue) (× 20 magnification, scale bar 100 μm). (b) Percentage of neutrophils forming NETs per field following treatment with control library aptamer as compared to neutrophils treated with anti-DEK aptamer (DTA 64) (*P<0.001 as determined by two-tailed, unequal variance Student’s t-test ) (error bars, s.e.m.). Results shown are based on three different experiments from three different healthy donors and a total of 13 different fields counted by two different investigators.