Neutrophil
A neutrophil is a short-lived, highly mobile granulocytic leukocyte of the innate immune system and one of the most abundant circulating white blood cells.
A neutrophil is a short-lived, highly mobile granulocytic leukocyte of the innate immune system and one of the most abundant circulating white blood cells. Neutrophils are generated in the bone marrow and rapidly recruited to sites of infection, tissue injury, and inflammation by chemotactic signals. Their major functions include phagocytosis, production of reactive oxygen species, release of antimicrobial granule proteins such as myeloperoxidase, secretion of inflammatory mediators, and formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). These activities help control microbial threats but can also amplify tissue injury and systemic inflammation when excessive or improperly regulated.
Neutrophils interact with monocytes, macrophages, dendritic cells, lymphocytes, and other immune and stromal populations. Their phenotype is shaped by the local microenvironment, including cytokines, hypoxia, tumor-derived signals, and tissue damage. Accordingly, neutrophils may contribute to antimicrobial defense, autoimmune and inflammatory disease, cardiovascular pathology, tumor progression or therapy resistance, and tissue repair. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is also used as a broad hematologic indicator of systemic inflammatory state, although its interpretation is context-dependent.
The recent literature represented here falls under neutrophil-linked disease biology. It spans cancer, chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular comorbidity, psoriasis, traumatic brain injury, immunotherapy-associated toxicity, coronary intervention, and spinal cord injury. These studies emphasize functional heterogeneity rather than a single universal neutrophil behavior, identifying phenotypes associated with immunosuppression, hypoxia, metabolic remodeling, tissue injury, or potential therapeutic delivery.
Where the papers sit
10 papers from the last 6 months study neutrophil directly · updated from PubMed 16 Oct 2026
Study type 0 clinical trials · 3 observational · 2 human data · 4 preclinical · 1 unclassified
Themes 3 themes · 1 paradigm shift
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Tumor-Associated Neutrophil Immunosuppression
Tumor-associated neutrophils are increasingly linked to immune exclusion and resistance to cancer therapy. HIF1A+CSF3R+ cells occupy hypoxic niches and undergo metabolic reprogramming, while VISTA+ neutrophils suppress CD8+ T cells during platinum treatment. Single-cell and spatial profiling is resolving these subsets in lung adenocarcinoma and other tumors. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, progression-free survival and treatment toxicity remain practical clinical correlates.
4 papers · 40%
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Neutrophil Activation and Complement
Complement-linked neutrophil activation recurs across chronic kidney disease, coronary intervention and diabetic wound research. Immaturity and increased myeloperoxidase mark disease-associated neutrophils, while intervention studies track rapid changes in activation and maturity. C3, CD55 and macrophage interactions point to complement as a modifiable inflammatory pathway. CD55-enriched extracellular vesicles represent an emerging strategy to redirect this response toward wound repair.
3 papers · 30%
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Neutrophils in Tissue Injury
Neutrophils are being studied as regulators of inflammatory and vascular remodeling after tissue injury and in inflammatory skin disease. IL-10+VEGF-α+ neutrophils show neuroprotective potential after traumatic brain injury, whereas psoriasis studies emphasize suppression of mast-cell-driven inflammation. Endothelial responses, angiogenesis and lipid metabolism recur as links between neutrophils and tissue repair. Plant extracts and nanoparticles are being explored to reshape this immune microenvironment, but the balance between protection and inflammation remains context dependent.
3 papers · 30%
Neutrophils can be active mediators of tissue repair and protection rather than uniformly pathogenic inflammatory cells
The diabetic-wound study of CD55-enriched neutrophil extracellular vesicles and the aged-traumatic-brain-injury study of skull-bone-marrow-derived IL-10+VEGF-α+ neutrophils independently identify reparative neutrophil functions. Against the assumption that neutrophils primarily sustain inflammation, tissue damage, or treatment failure, the diabetic-wound work found that neutrophil vesicles suppressed complement-associated inflammation and promoted macrophage reprogramming, angiogenesis, and wound regeneration, while the TBI work found that an IL-10+VEGF-α+ neutrophil population reduced inflammation and oxidative stress and promoted angiogenesis, tissue remodeling, and neurological protection. Neutrophils therefore become potential sources or effectors of repair whose subtype and products, rather than their presence alone, determine outcome 42881510Oct 42150286May.
Papers
The 10 papers from the last 6 months that study neutrophil directly, newest first, by theme and by study type. Study types come from PubMed publication types and MeSH headings.
By theme
Tumor-Associated Neutrophil Immunosuppression (4)
- Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics identify a JUNB+ neutrophil subset enriched in immune-excluded regions of lung adenocarcinoma. Inflammation research : official journal of the European Histamine Research Society ... [et al.] · 6 Oct 2026 PMID 42836968
- HIF1A+CSF3R+ neutrophils-dominated hypoxic niche induced metabolic reprogramming for neoadjuvant therapy resistance in NSCLC. Journal for immunotherapy of cancer · 8 Sept 2026 PMID 42711068
- Integration of hierarchical clustering in hematologic biomarkers prediction for endocrine toxicity during immunotherapy in lung cancer patients. Scientific reports · 23 Jul 2026 PMID 42493517
- VISTA+ Neutrophils Contribute to Platinum Resistance by Suppressing CD8+ T Cells in High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer. Cancer immunology research · 2 Jul 2026 PMID 42390478
Neutrophil Activation and Complement (3)
- Atlas-Guided CD55-Enriched Neutrophil Extracellular Vesicles for Complement-Macrophage Modulation in Diabetic Wounds. Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 16 Oct 2026 PMID 42881510
- Immature Neutrophil Phenotype and Enhanced Myeloperoxidase in Male Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease and Cardiovascular Comorbidity. Acta physiologica (Oxford, England) · 18 Aug 2026 PMID 42613304
- Acute effects of percutaneous coronary intervention on neutrophil activation and maturity markers in coronary and peripheral circulation. Open heart · 25 May 2026 PMID 42185026
Neutrophils in Tissue Injury (3)
- Mechanistic insight into Solanum lyratum Thunb. extract for ameliorating imiquimod-induced psoriasis in mice via suppression of mast cell and Th17 cell response. Fitoterapia · 4 Aug 2026 PMID 42551598
- Nanoparticle Modulation of Immune and Vascular Microenvironment Dynamics Following Spinal Cord Injury. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience · 4 Jun 2026 PMID 42242916
- Skull bone marrow-derived IL-10+VEGF-α+neutrophils exert neuroprotective effects in aged TBI. International immunopharmacology · 18 May 2026 PMID 42150286
By study type
Observational studies and case reports (3)
- Integration of hierarchical clustering in hematologic biomarkers prediction for endocrine toxicity during immunotherapy in lung cancer patients. Scientific reports · 23 Jul 2026 PMID 42493517
- VISTA+ Neutrophils Contribute to Platinum Resistance by Suppressing CD8+ T Cells in High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer. Cancer immunology research · 2 Jul 2026 PMID 42390478
- Acute effects of percutaneous coronary intervention on neutrophil activation and maturity markers in coronary and peripheral circulation. Open heart · 25 May 2026 PMID 42185026
Human data, design not indexed (2)
- Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics identify a JUNB+ neutrophil subset enriched in immune-excluded regions of lung adenocarcinoma. Inflammation research : official journal of the European Histamine Research Society ... [et al.] · 6 Oct 2026 PMID 42836968
- Immature Neutrophil Phenotype and Enhanced Myeloperoxidase in Male Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease and Cardiovascular Comorbidity. Acta physiologica (Oxford, England) · 18 Aug 2026 PMID 42613304
Preclinical: animal, cell and lab studies (4)
- HIF1A+CSF3R+ neutrophils-dominated hypoxic niche induced metabolic reprogramming for neoadjuvant therapy resistance in NSCLC. Journal for immunotherapy of cancer · 8 Sept 2026 PMID 42711068
- Mechanistic insight into Solanum lyratum Thunb. extract for ameliorating imiquimod-induced psoriasis in mice via suppression of mast cell and Th17 cell response. Fitoterapia · 4 Aug 2026 PMID 42551598
- Nanoparticle Modulation of Immune and Vascular Microenvironment Dynamics Following Spinal Cord Injury. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience · 4 Jun 2026 PMID 42242916
- Skull bone marrow-derived IL-10+VEGF-α+neutrophils exert neuroprotective effects in aged TBI. International immunopharmacology · 18 May 2026 PMID 42150286
Unclassified: not yet indexed with MeSH (1)
- Atlas-Guided CD55-Enriched Neutrophil Extracellular Vesicles for Complement-Macrophage Modulation in Diabetic Wounds. Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 16 Oct 2026 PMID 42881510
Written from 10 PubMed abstracts, each one listed by PMID above. Published: 2026-09-10. Drafted by language models from published abstracts; not medical advice.