[Research advance on the roles of neutrophils and interleukin-18 in sepsis]

Sepsis is a critical illness induced by infection and characterized by dysregulated inflammatory responses. Neutrophils (Neu) are not only key effector cells that directly combat pathogenic microbial infections, but also crucial regulators of immune responses, thus playing a double-edged sword role in sepsis. Interleukin-18 (IL-18) is a classical inflammasome-associated potent pro-inflammatory factor, and plays an imperative role in the migration and activation of neutrophils. Therefore, this article summarizes the roles of neutrophils and IL-18 in sepsis, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for further in-depth exploration of the pathogenesis of sepsis, the development of IL-18 related biological agents, and the formulation of targeted therapeutic strategies.