Emerging research in the field of autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases has revealed the importance of neutrophils in mediating pathogenic inflammation and autoimmunity. Neutrophils were viewed as short-lived and/or effector cells critical in infectious diseases but they have become much more than simple sentinels of the immune system. Neutrophils orchestrate a coordinated immune response and release proteolytic enzymes that can lead to tissue and organ damage. In addition, neutrophils can release neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) that can activate cells and promote a pathogenic immune response to self-antigens.
Multi-omic studies have also shown that neutrophils are a heterogeneous population with considerable transcriptional plasticity and functional differences in terms of age, sex and disease state. Moreover, neutrophils found in different tissues and diseases exhibit considerable phenotypic and morphological diversity and might be involved in distinct pro- or anti-inflammatory roles. For instance, the presence of low-density granulocytes in multiple autoimmune diseases such as SLE, RA, Psoriasis, among others have been implicated in inflammation, end-organ damage and autoimmunity. Additionally, neutrophils interact with many other cells, including macrophages, dendritic cells, lymphocytes, etc to shape the innate and adaptive immune response.
Neutrophil subsets further contribute to these responses by skewing the immune response towards a proinflammatory state. However, fundamental questions remain unanswered regarding the molecular mechanisms that underpin pathogenic neutrophil responses in autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases. We encourage investigators who are interested in this research area to submit their work to this Research Topic that focuses on the role of neutrophils in autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases including novel molecular mechanisms of disease, therapeutic targets and cellular interactions that perturb normal immune function.
In this Research Topic, we are considering Review/Mini-Review and Original Research articles that focus on, but are not limited to, the following themes:
• Neutrophil heterogeneity and plasticity
• Neutrophil mechanisms
• Neutrophil interactions
• Neutrophils in diseases
• Roles of NETs in end-organ damage
• Therapeutic targeting neutrophils
Emerging research in the field of autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases has revealed the importance of neutrophils in mediating pathogenic inflammation and autoimmunity. Neutrophils were viewed as short-lived and/or effector cells critical in infectious diseases but they have become much more than simple sentinels of the immune system. Neutrophils orchestrate a coordinated immune response and release proteolytic enzymes that can lead to tissue and organ damage. In addition, neutrophils can release neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) that can activate cells and promote a pathogenic immune response to self-antigens.
Multi-omic studies have also shown that neutrophils are a heterogeneous population with considerable transcriptional plasticity and functional differences in terms of age, sex and disease state. Moreover, neutrophils found in different tissues and diseases exhibit considerable phenotypic and morphological diversity and might be involved in distinct pro- or anti-inflammatory roles. For instance, the presence of low-density granulocytes in multiple autoimmune diseases such as SLE, RA, Psoriasis, among others have been implicated in inflammation, end-organ damage and autoimmunity. Additionally, neutrophils interact with many other cells, including macrophages, dendritic cells, lymphocytes, etc to shape the innate and adaptive immune response.
Neutrophil subsets further contribute to these responses by skewing the immune response towards a proinflammatory state. However, fundamental questions remain unanswered regarding the molecular mechanisms that underpin pathogenic neutrophil responses in autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases. We encourage investigators who are interested in this research area to submit their work to this Research Topic that focuses on the role of neutrophils in autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases including novel molecular mechanisms of disease, therapeutic targets and cellular interactions that perturb normal immune function.
In this Research Topic, we are considering Review/Mini-Review and Original Research articles that focus on, but are not limited to, the following themes:
• Neutrophil heterogeneity and plasticity
• Neutrophil mechanisms
• Neutrophil interactions
• Neutrophils in diseases
• Roles of NETs in end-organ damage
• Therapeutic targeting neutrophils
