Neutrophil Extracellular Traps in Cardiovascular Diseases: Pathological Roles and Therapeutic Implications
Yan Ma, Jun Zhang, Yang Qi, Yating Lu, Yalan Dong, Desheng Hu
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is currently recognized as one of the leading health threats to humanity. Neutrophils play an important role in innate immune response. The activation of neutrophils leads to the release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in response to various stimuli. Appropriate NETs are essential for maintaining homeostasis in the body, while excessive NETs will cause pathological damage. Accumulating evidence indicates that NETs are implicated in CVD pathophysiology. This review aims to provide a comprehensive review of the characteristics, signaling pathways, and interactions of NETs with other immune cells, and the comparisons of NETosis with other cell deaths, focusing on the role of NETs in CVDs. Furthermore, this study provides a theoretical basis for further improvement in targeted NET therapy for CVD.