Autophagy-mediated regulation of neutrophils and clinical applications

Autophagy, an adaptive catabolic process, plays a cytoprotective role in enabling cellular homeostasis in the innate and adaptive immune systems. Neutrophils, the most abundant immune cells in circulation, are professional killers that orchestrate a series of events during acute inflammation. The recent literature indicates that autophagy has important roles in regulating neutrophil functions, including differentiation, degranulation, metabolism and neutrophil extracellular trap formation, that dictate neutrophil fate. It is also becoming increasingly clear that autophagy regulation is critical for neutrophils to exert their immunological activity. However, evidence regarding the systematic communication between neutrophils and autophagy is insufficient. Here, we provide an updated overview of the function of autophagy as a regulator of neutrophils and discuss its clinical relevance to provide novel insight into potentially relevant treatment strategies.