The neutrophil granulocyte is a key factor in cellular innate defence mechanisms against infection or tissue damage. Granulocyte apoptosis is now acknowledged to have a critical role in progression of inflammatory responses. Granulocytes are preprogrammed to die with important physiological mechanisms for non-inflammatory clearance. Shutdown of secretory capacity represents an important aspect of the programme of biochemical events that accompany neutrophil apoptosis together with surface molecular changes that serve to identify apoptotic cells as targets for phagocytic removal. Defining the underlying regulatory mechanisms together with the changes in patterns of gene/protein expression associated with granulocyte death remains a challenge. Use of novel strategies for inducing cell death will allow biochemical approaches to dissect the underlying pathways. Although study of granulocyte cell death has especial difficulties when compared with other cell types, there are clearly potential benefits for new therapeutic approaches to treat inflammatory diseases.
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Conference Article|
June 01 2004
Granulocyte apoptosis: who would work with a ‘real’ inflammatory cell?
I. Dransfield;
I. Dransfield
1
MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh Medical School, Teviot Place, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, U.K.
1To whom correspondence should be addressed (email i.dransfield@ed.ac.uk).
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A.G. Rossi
A.G. Rossi
MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh Medical School, Teviot Place, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, U.K.
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Online ISSN: 1470-8752
Print ISSN: 0300-5127
© 2004 Biochemical Society
2004
Biochem Soc Trans (2004) 32 (3): 447–451.
Citation
I. Dransfield, A.G. Rossi; Granulocyte apoptosis: who would work with a ‘real’ inflammatory cell?. Biochem Soc Trans 1 June 2004; 32 (3): 447–451. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/bst0320447
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