Sexy again: the renaissance of neutrophils in psoriasis

Notwithstanding their prominent presence in psoriatic skin, the functional role of neutrophilic granulocytes still remains somewhat enigmatic. Sparked by exciting scientific discoveries regarding neutrophil functions within the last years, the interest in these short-lived cells of the innate immune system has been boosted recently. While it had been known for some time that neutrophils produce and respond to a number of inflammatory mediators, recent research has linked neutrophils with the pathogenic functions of IL-17, possibly in conjunction with the formation of NETs (neutrophil extracellular traps). Antipsoriatic therapies exert their effects, at least in part, through interference with neutrophils. Neutrophils also appear to connect psoriasis with comorbid diseases. However, directly tampering with neutrophil functions is not trivial as evinced by the failure of therapeutic approaches targeting redundantly regulated cellular communication networks. It has also become apparent that neutrophils link important pathogenic functions of the innate and the adaptive immune system and that they are intricately involved in regulatory networks underlying the pathophysiology of psoriasis. In order to advocate intensified research into the role of this interesting cell population, we here highlight some features of neutrophils and put them into perspective with our current view of the pathophysiology of psoriasis.