In:
eLife, eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd, Vol. 6 ( 2017-06-02)
Abstract:
The immune system protects the body against microorganisms that can cause infections and diseases. Neutrophils are a type of immune cell that patrol the blood in search of germs. Once they encounter potentially harmful microbes, neutrophils eradicate them in different ways. One way to catch the germs is by using ‘neutrophil extracellular traps’, or NETs for short, to confine and kill the invaders. NETs are web-like structures made up of anti-microbial proteins and the neutrophil’s own DNA. The process of making NETs kills the neutrophil, as it eventually explodes to release the NETs. NETs play a key role in disease prevention, but producing too many NETs or producing them at the wrong time or in the wrong place can actually make certain diseases worse. Therefore, it is important to fully understand the signaling pathways and molecules the neutrophils use to make NETs. Kenny et al. exposed neutrophils from healthy people to five different compounds known to cause the cells to make NETs, including some harmful molecules, a fungus and a bacterium. Microscopy was then used to count how many neutrophils made NETs in response to each of the five stimuli. Further experiments showed that neutrophils from patients with an immune system disorder produced fewer NETs when stimulated with some of the compounds, while the other stimuli caused neutrophils to produce the same levels of NETs as healthy individuals. Kenny et al. also revealed that neutrophils use several different ways to produce and release NETs, depending on the stimulus used. Some of the ways required reactive oxygen species, such as hydrogen peroxide and enzymes, while others produced NETs without the need for these molecules. Lastly, Kenny et al. showed that the way the cells die after the NET is released is unique from other pathways that are known to kill cells. Future work will aim to identify a single molecule that can block neutrophils from releasing NETs at the wrong time and place, without affecting the important role NETs play in fighting germs. Such a molecule could be developed into a drug for people with diseases like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, where the release of NETs makes the disease worse not better.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
2050-084X
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24437.001
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24437.002
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24437.003
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24437.004
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24437.005
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24437.006
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24437.007
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24437.008
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24437.009
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24437.010
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24437.011
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24437.012
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24437.013
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24437.014
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24437.015
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24437.016
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24437.017
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24437.018
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24437.019
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24437.020
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24437.021
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24437.022
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24437.023
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24437.024
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24437.025
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24437.026
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24437.027
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24437.028
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24437.029
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24437.030
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24437.031
DOI:
10.7554/eLife.24437.032
Language:
English
Publisher:
eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd
Publication Date:
2017
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2687154-3
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