New insights into constitutive neutrophil death

Abstract

Neutrophils undergo rapid aging and death known as constitutive or spontaneous death. Constitutive neutrophil death (CND) contributes to neutrophil homeostasis and inflammation resolution. CND has long been considered to be apoptotic until our findings reveal that it was a heterogeneous combination of diverse death. Furthermore, dead neutrophils retain functional roles via multiple manners. This review provides an overview of current research on the mechanism and modulation of CND. More noteworthy, we also summarize the after-death events of neutrophils. The fate of neutrophils can be changed under pathological conditions, so the involvement of CND in diseases and CND-related therapeutic strategies are also addressed.