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NEUROIMMUNOLOGY

A new cell subtype that confers neuroprotection

Nature Immunology volume 21, pages 1477–1478 (2020)Cite this article

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A subset of neutrophils with an immature phenotype confers neuroprotection in traumatic optic nerve and spinal cord injury. This study identifies a new target population of cells for therapeutic strategies to induce neural regeneration during injury.

These new findings are of significant interest in the context of neuroinflammation during CNS injury. A delicate balance exists in many cell types between neurotoxicity and neuroprotection. This balance can be influenced by the type of injury and the time since injury. Infiltrating monocytes as well as CNS-resident astrocytes and microglia have each been shown to have either deleterious or beneficial effects on neurodegeneration, depending on these factors. Neutrophils are a major cell infiltrate during CNS injury and have previously been considered to be deleterious. In the current article, Sas et al. show a subset of neutrophils to be neuroprotective1. An important characteristic of this protective subset is its immature phenotype. Distinct from mature neutrophils of the ‘N1’ type, immature neutrophils of the ‘N2’ type drive axon regeneration and promote neuron survival, in part by producing a cocktail of neuroprotective growth factors.

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Fig. 1: Mature ‘N1’ neutrophils confer neurodegeneration, while immature ‘N2’ neutrophils induce neuroregeneration.

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  1. Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Rhonda Voskuhl

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  1. Rhonda Voskuhl
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Correspondence to Rhonda Voskuhl.

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The author declares no competing interests.

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Voskuhl, R. A new cell subtype that confers neuroprotection. Nat Immunol 21, 1477–1478 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41590-020-00821-0

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