Neutrophils are key immune cells that participate in host defense through a variety of mechanisms including phagocytosis, the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), degranulation, and the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). Although essential to the neutralization of pathogens, excessive neutrophil activation may be harmful and has been linked to cardiovascular disease, malignancy as well as, several inflammatory and autoimmune conditions including lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. The capacity of neutrophils to orchestrate inflammatory and immune responses is partly dependent on their release of neutrophil-derived molecules, including cytokines, alarmins and NETs, but also depends on their capacity to interact with and direct other innate and adaptive immune cells.

Over the past decade, the field of neutrophil biology has exploded, with remarkable discoveries highlighting neutrophils as indispensable players in immune regulation. While neutrophils are still recognized to be the prominent phagocytes involved in clearance of pathogens and cell debris, they are beginning to emerge as essential communicators—interacting with the endothelium and platelets to influence vascular health and thrombosis; extruding and displaying autoantigens while priming B cells with life-sustaining BAFF; and playing a crucial role in malignancy as myeloid-derived suppressor cells and as accelerators of metastasis. Recent data is also uncovering neutrophil plasticity since they have the capacity to undertake novel effector functions in response to different triggers. Altogether, neutrophils not only clear pathogens, but they also communicate, interacting with the neighboring cells and molecules in order to shape the overall immune response.

The aim of this Research Topic is to gather a wide collection of basic and translational Review and Original Research articles on neutrophil interactions with—and regulation of—innate immunity, adaptive immunity, and malignancy in order to (i) highlight the role of neutrophils in shaping our immune system; (ii) define the role of neutrophils in autoimmunity and malignancy; and (iii) promote the development of neutrophil-targeted therapies. In this Research Topic, we welcome the submission of Reviews and Original Research articles covering the following topics:

1) Role of neutrophil sensors in their communication with other immune cells
2) Clearance by/of neutrophils and their interaction with macrophages.
3) Neutrophil cross-talk with platelets and other innate immune cells.
4) Neutrophil migration and interaction with the endothelium.
5) Neutrophil cross-talk with B and T cells.
6) Neutrophil-derived autoantigens and their role in immune cell activation and autoimmunity.
7) Interaction of neutrophils with cancer cells and immune cells during malignancy.

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Frontiers in Immunology

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