Neutrophils are the first immune cells on site in most infections and injuries. They are released in massive numbers from the bone marrow and recruited within hours.
𝗠𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄
𝘙𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 → Guided by chemokines such as CXCL8/IL-8 and adhesion molecules (selectins, integrins), neutrophils exit circulation and infiltrate tissues.
𝘌𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 → Phagocytosis of pathogens.
Degranulation with proteases, myeloperoxidase, and ROS.
𝘕𝘦𝘶𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘭 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘴 (𝘕𝘌𝘛𝘴) — chromatin webs coated with antimicrobial proteins.
𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 → Neutrophils undergo apoptosis, then cleared by macrophages to avoid excessive tissue damage.
This rapid choreography explains why neutrophils are sometimes called the ´emergency service´ of the immune system.
𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀
Germany has played a key role in advancing neutrophil biology:
Arturo Zychlinsky & Volker Brinkmann (MPI Berlin) — first described NETs in 2004, a discovery that redefined neutrophils beyond phagocytosis [1].
Michael Hölzel & Thomas Tüting (Bonn/Magdeburg) — demonstrated that neutrophils can limit T cell–based immunotherapy via c-MET–dependent mechanisms in cancer models [2].
TRR-332 Collaborative Project — investigates how trained neutrophils may be harnessed for anti-tumor immunity [3].
Triantafyllos Chavakis (Dresden) — showed that beta-glucan training of neutrophils promotes anti-tumor phenotypes in mice, pointing to possible therapeutic applications [4].
𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗛𝘆𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀
Could neutrophils become predictive biomarkers and therapeutic targets in immunotherapy? If baseline neutrophil states — such as their “training” status, receptor expression (e.g., c-MET), or cytokine responsiveness — were profiled, they might guide treatment selection.
𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰: neutrophils could be “trained” or engineered to serve as rapid-acting immunotherapy allies, providing an early push while T cells and adaptive responses are still mobilizing. Imagine combining CAR-T cells with trained neutrophils, creating a fast–slow tandem that enhances both immediacy and durability of anti-tumor responses.
Stay tuned for 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟮: 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗰𝘆𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 – 𝗽𝗵𝗮𝗴𝗼𝗰𝘆𝘁𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘀
𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀
1. Brinkmann V, Reichard U, Goosmann C, et al. Neutrophil extracellular traps kill bacteria. Science. 2004;303(5663):1532–1535.
2. Finisguerra V, Di Conza G, Di Matteo M, et al. MET is required for the recruitment of anti-tumoural neutrophils. Nature. 2015;522:349–353.
3. TRR-332 Project: Dissecting the anti-tumour effects of trained neutrophils. neutrophils.de
4. Kalafati L, Mitroulis I, Verginis P, Chavakis T. Trained immunity and neutrophils in cancer. Front Immunol. 2020;11:590147.
#100DaysOfImmunology #Neutrophils #InnateImmunity #NETs #CancerImmunotherapy #TrainedImmunity #GermanScience #ScienceCommunication #MechanisticImmunology