title: NETs: a new strategy for using old weapons.
abstract: As key players in the host innate immune response, neutrophils are recruited to sites of infection and constitute the first line of defense. They employ three strategies to eliminate invading microbes: microbial uptake, the secretion of antimicrobials, and the recently described release of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs). Composed of decondensed chromatin and antimicrobial proteins, NETs bind and kill a variety of microbes including bacteria, fungi, and parasites. In addition to using a repertoire of known antimicrobials, NETs incorporate histones into the antimicrobial arsenal. Furthermore, NETs may contribute to microbial containment by forming a physical barrier and a scaffold, to enhance antimicrobial synergy while minimizing damage to host tissues. Their role in innate immunity is only now being uncovered.
authors.affiliation: Department for Cellular Microbiology, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, Germany. veni@mpiib-berlin.mpg.de
authors.forename: Venizelos
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Papayannopoulos
authors.forename: Arturo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zychlinsky
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000276:immunology; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D015550:Cell Degranulation / Q000276:immunology; D002843:Chromatin / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006657:Histones / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000276:immunology; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D006657:Histones; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species