AUTHOR=Majewski Pawel , Majchrzak-Gorecka Monika , Grygier Beata , Skrzeczynska-Moncznik Joanna , Osiecka Oktawia , Cichy Joanna TITLE=Inhibitors of Serine Proteases in Regulating the Production and Function of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology VOLUME=7 YEAR=2016 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2016.00261 DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2016.00261 ISSN=1664-3224 ABSTRACT=
Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), DNA webs released into the extracellular environment by activated neutrophils, are thought to play a key role in the entrapment and eradication of microbes. However, NETs are highly cytotoxic and a likely source of autoantigens, suggesting that NET release is tightly regulated. NET formation involves the activity of neutrophil elastase (NE), which cleaves histones, leading to chromatin decondensation. We and others have recently demonstrated that inhibitors of NE, such as secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) and SerpinB1, restrict NET production