Qi Y, Ma L, Zhang Y, Liu Y, Su M, Cai TT, Wang M, Sun KW. Insights into the pathogenic roles and targeted therapy of neutrophil extracellular traps in inflammatory bowel disease. World J Gastroenterol 2026; 32(17): 119419 [DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v32.i17.119419]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Ke-Wen Sun, MD, Chief Physician, Department of Gastroenterology, The First People’s Hospital of Changzhou, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, No. 185 Juqian Street, Tianning District, Changzhou 213004, Jiangsu Province, China. sunkewen0727@suda.edu.cn
Research Domain of This Article
Immunology
Article-Type of This Article
Minireviews
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
May 7, 2026 (publication date) through Apr 24, 2026
Times Cited of This Article
Times Cited (0)
Journal Information of This Article
Publication Name
World Journal of Gastroenterology
ISSN
1007-9327
Publisher of This Article
Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA
Share the Article
Qi Y, Ma L, Zhang Y, Liu Y, Su M, Cai TT, Wang M, Sun KW. Insights into the pathogenic roles and targeted therapy of neutrophil extracellular traps in inflammatory bowel disease. World J Gastroenterol 2026; 32(17): 119419 [DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v32.i17.119419]
World J Gastroenterol. May 7, 2026; 32(17): 119419 Published online May 7, 2026. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v32.i17.119419
Insights into the pathogenic roles and targeted therapy of neutrophil extracellular traps in inflammatory bowel disease
Ying Qi, Liang Ma, Yin Zhang, Yi Liu, Min Su, Ting-Ting Cai, Mei Wang, Ke-Wen Sun
Ying Qi, Liang Ma, Yin Zhang, Yi Liu, Min Su, Mei Wang, Ke-Wen Sun, Department of Gastroenterology, The First People’s Hospital of Changzhou, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou 213004, Jiangsu Province, China
Ting-Ting Cai, Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Changzhou 213004, Jiangsu Province, China
Co-corresponding authors: Mei Wang and Ke-Wen Sun.
Author contributions: Qi Y wrote and revised the manuscript, designed tables and figures, and acquired funding; Ma L, Zhang Y, Liu Y, Su M, Cai TT made revision; Wang M and Sun KW designed the review framework and made final revision and they as co-corresponding authors; all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Supported by the Changzhou Applied Basic Research Program, No. CJ20220091.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Corresponding author: Ke-Wen Sun, MD, Chief Physician, Department of Gastroenterology, The First People’s Hospital of Changzhou, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, No. 185 Juqian Street, Tianning District, Changzhou 213004, Jiangsu Province, China. sunkewen0727@suda.edu.cn
Received: February 2, 2026 Revised: February 23, 2026 Accepted: March 17, 2026 Published online: May 7, 2026 Processing time: 82 Days and 2.3 Hours
Abstract
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are a group of relapsing intestinal inflammatory disorders characterized by a prolonged duration. Irregular immune responses toward gut microbial antigens play a pivotal role in the etiology and pathology of IBDs. Neutrophils, the most abundant responsive innate immune effector cells, and serve as the first line of defense against invading pathogens by degranulation, phagocytosis, generation of reactive oxygen species, and synthesis of chemokines and cytokines, thereby important in maintaining intestinal mucosal homeostasis. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are web-like extracellular chromatin structures consisting of DNA, histones, fibers, and neutrophil granule proteins formed and released by activated neutrophils. The state of neutrophils with NET formation is called NETosis, which includes suicidal, vital and mitochondrial NETosis. NETs can break down and eradicate pathogens thereby preventing them from uncontrolled spreading. Apart from the antimicrobial function, accumulative evidence has highlighted the pathogenic roles of NET components including neutrophil elastase, myeloperoxidase, and cell-free DNA, in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases and cancer. Excessive accumulation of NETs disrupt the intestinal mucosal barrier, amplify the inflammatory cascade, promote thrombosis and colitis-associated cancer. Herein, we review the formation of NETs, discuss NETs as a potential pathogenic mechanism in IBD, and therapeutic targets for IBD.
Core Tip: Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), while essential for pathogen clearance, act as a double-edged sword in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). Excessive accumulation of NETs has been confirmed in IBD patients and colitis mouse model. NET components can exacerbate chronic intestinal inflammation, destroy intestinal mucosal barrier and aggravate tissue damage, promote thrombosis and colitis-associated cancer. Consequently, therapeutic strategies targeting NET formation or promoting NET degradation are emerging as promising avenues to restore intestinal mucosal homeostasis in IBD.
