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Nature Medicine 12, 280–281 (1 March 2006) | doi:10.1038/nm0306-280

The matrix degrades, neutrophils invade

Peter M Henson & R William Vandivier

Infection or injury of tissues leads to an influx of neutrophils from the blood—an early step of acute inflammation that can be both protective and injurious. Within minutes of an insult, circulating neutrophils interact with vascular endothelium at the site of damage and begin their emigration from the blood vessels (Fig.