Actin regulation of neutrophil effector mechanisms in health and disease

Neutrophils are central to immune responses in health and disease, and their ability to deform correlates with their functional responses. In health, reorganization of the neutrophil cytoskeleton allows neutrophils to carry out their effector mechanisms. However, in the disease state, dysregulation of neutrophil cytoskeletal properties results in disruption of neutrophil structural integrity, in turn altering their immune response capabilities. We outline how actin and actin polymerization are essential for cell processes, the role of actin in neutrophil function, and how disruption of actin can lead and contribute to a range of disease pathogeneses.