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Updated: Oct 1, 2025
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Imaging the Neutrophil Phagosome and Cytoplasm Using a Ratiometric pH Indicator
Published on: April 5, 2017
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Quo vadis, neutrophil?
Rodrigo J Gonzalez1, Ulrich H von Andrian1
1Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; The Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Cell
|March 4, 2022
Summary
A serotonin metabolite, 5-HIAA, unexpectedly recruits neutrophils to inflamed tissues. Produced by platelets and mast cells, it activates the GPR35 receptor, highlighting a new pathway in inflammation and host defense.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Neutrophil recruitment is crucial for inflammation and fighting microbes.
- The mechanisms governing neutrophil migration to inflamed sites are complex and not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of serotonin metabolites in neutrophil recruitment.
- To identify novel mediators involved in inflammatory responses.
Main Methods:
- Investigated the function of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in neutrophil migration.
- Utilized cellular assays to examine the interaction between 5-HIAA and the GPR35 receptor.
- Studied the production of 5-HIAA by activated platelets and mast cells.
Main Results:
- Identified 5-HIAA, a serotonin metabolite, as a key mediator of neutrophil recruitment.
- Demonstrated that 5-HIAA is produced by activated platelets and mast cells.
- Showed that 5-HIAA engages the orphan receptor GPR35 to induce neutrophil migration to inflamed tissues.
Conclusions:
- 5-HIAA plays an unanticipated but significant role in neutrophil recruitment during inflammation.
- The 5-HIAA/GPR35 axis represents a novel pathway in inflammatory processes and host defense.
- Targeting this pathway could offer new therapeutic strategies for inflammatory diseases.
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