The immune regulatory role of neutrophils

Neutrophils are appreciated to perform a wide range of pro- and anti-inflammatory effector functions in diverse settings. These go far beyond the response to acute infection, encompassing sterile injury, autoimmunity, allergy and tumours. There is growing appreciation of the nuances of their modes of action, especially elucidation of the nature and consequences of NETosis. New work suggests that it is time to give greater consideration to the anti-inflammatory role of neutrophils, such as in the control of cytokine release during sepsis.