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REVIEW article
Front. Immunol.
Sec. Cancer Immunity and Immunotherapy
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1589329
This article is part of the Research Topic The Role of Neutrophil Extra Cellular Traps (NETs) Formation in Tumor Microenvironment- from Basic Research to Clinical Applications View all articles
Neutrophil extracellular traps in diseases of the female reproductive organs
Provisionally accepted
Maria-Laura Morawiec 1*
Robert Kubina 1
Sebastian Stępień 1
Marta Smycz - Kubańska 1
Patrycja Królewska-Daszczyńska 1
Wioletta Ratajczak-Wrona 2 Aleksandra Mielczarek- Palacz 1- 1 Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
- 2 Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Podlaskie Voivodeship, Poland
Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are physiologically released in response to pathogens, serving as a defense mechanism. However, excessive NET production has been implicated in various pathological conditions, including diseases of the female reproductive system. Recent studies highlight the significant role of neutrophils and NETs in cancer pathogenesis. Overproduction of NETs creates sites for tumor cell adhesion, promoting tumor cell proliferation, immune escape, and tumor progression. NET formation is associated with many diseases, including cancers of the female reproductive organs. Detection of NETs can be used as a prognostic tool for patients with diseases characterised by higher rates of NETs formation, such as cancer. In order to use NETs in diagnosis, it is possible to determine them directly or to determine NET components: extracellular DNA (cell free DNA, cfDNA), citrullinated histones (citH3), NE or MPO. This review explores the role of neutrophils and NETs in the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of breast, ovarian, cervical and endometrial cancer, premature lapse of ovarian function, cervicitis, endometriosis, pregnancy and pregnancy-related diseases.
Keywords: NETs, Neutrophils, gynecological cancer, gynecological diseases, breast cancer
Received: 07 Mar 2025; Accepted: 02 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Morawiec, Kubina, Stępień, Smycz - Kubańska, Królewska-Daszczyńska, Ratajczak-Wrona and Mielczarek- Palacz. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Maria-Laura Morawiec, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
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