Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Biology in Immune Responses
Summary
Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) represent a specialised arm of innate immunity in which activated neutrophils expel decondensed chromatin studded with antimicrobial proteins. This process, termed NETosis, immobilises and neutralises pathogens at the site of infection. Chromatin decondensation is driven by coordinated enzymatic events, including histone citrullination and granule enzyme translocation, and is closely regulated by reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Beyond their antimicrobial role, NETs influence inflammation, tissue repair and autoimmunity by acting as scaffolds for cytokines and stimulating adjacent immune cells. Dysregulated NET formation contributes to pathology in conditions ranging from periodontal disease to acute lung injury and systemic autoimmunity. As such, NET biology occupies a nexus between host defence and collateral tissue damage, with therapeutic strategies aiming either to enhance trapping capacity against resistant pathogens or to promote NET clearance in sterile inflammatory disorders.
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Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Biology in Immune Responses publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in neutrophil extracellular trap biology in immune responses across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs): Web-like structures of decondensed chromatin decorated with antimicrobial proteins, released by neutrophils to trap and kill pathogens.
NETosis: A specialised form of neutrophil cell death leading to NET release, involving chromatin decondensation, membrane rupture and extracellular DNA expulsion.
Deoxyribonuclease I (DNase I): An endonuclease that degrades extracellular DNA, used therapeutically to clear NETs in inflammatory settings.
Reactive oxygen species (ROS): Chemically reactive molecules generated by NADPH oxidase during the oxidative burst, essential for chromatin unfolding and NET formation.
References
- Neutrophils and neutrophil extracellular traps in oral health and disease. Experimental & Molecular Medicine (2024).
- Genetically Engineered Cellular Nanovesicle as Targeted DNase I Delivery System for the Clearance of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps in Acute Lung Injury. Advanced Science (2023).
- Neutrophil extracellular trap cell death requires both autophagy and superoxide generation. Cell Research (2010).
- Molecular mechanisms regulating NETosis in infection and disease. Seminars in Immunopathology (2013).
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