Chapter 1

Neutrophils and Extracellular Traps in Microbial Infections

Volker Brinkmann

Abstract

Decades ago, neutrophil granulocytes have been recognized as professional phagocytes. In their granules they store a massive array of antimicrobial enzymes and peptides which they can release either to the outside or into the phagosome, where phagocytosed microorganisms are quickly killed. Some years ago a different antimicrobial function of neutrophils was discovered: once stimulated, neutrophils can undergo a cell death program that induces massive structural changes and finally leads to the formation of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs), which can bind and kill microorganisms outside the cell. In this review, the current knowledge about antimicrobial properties of NETs is summarized and microbial strategies to escape NETs are discussed. </p> <p>

Total Pages: 3-10 (8)

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