Song CY, Yu HP, Mu FY, Lu JS, Yang M, Chang MH, Wang KY. Targeting neutrophil extracellular traps: A novel strategy for treating heterotopic ossification. World J Orthop 2025; 16(11): 111242 [DOI: 10.5312/wjo.v16.i11.111242]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Kai-Yang Wang, MD, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 600 Yishan Road, Shanghai 200233, China. ortho_wang@163.com
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Orthopedics
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Editorial
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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/
Nov 18, 2025 (publication date) through Nov 22, 2025
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Publication Name
World Journal of Orthopedics
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2218-5836
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Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA
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Song CY, Yu HP, Mu FY, Lu JS, Yang M, Chang MH, Wang KY. Targeting neutrophil extracellular traps: A novel strategy for treating heterotopic ossification. World J Orthop 2025; 16(11): 111242 [DOI: 10.5312/wjo.v16.i11.111242]
World J Orthop. Nov 18, 2025; 16(11): 111242 Published online Nov 18, 2025. doi: 10.5312/wjo.v16.i11.111242
Targeting neutrophil extracellular traps: A novel strategy for treating heterotopic ossification
Chen-Yu Song, Hong-Ping Yu, Fei-Yan Mu, Jing-Shun Lu, Min Yang, Meng-Han Chang, Kai-Yang Wang
Chen-Yu Song, Kai-Yang Wang, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200233, China
Hong-Ping Yu, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen 361000, Fujian Province, China
Fei-Yan Mu, Southern Central Hospital of Yunnan Province, The First People’s Hospital of Honghe State, Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture Mengzi 661100, Yunnan Province, China
Jing-Shun Lu, Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Yijishan Hospital, Wuhu 241000, Anhui Province, China
Min Yang, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Meilong Community Health Service Center of Minhang District, Shanghai 200233, China
Meng-Han Chang, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Affliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210002, Jiangsu Province, China
Co-first authors: Chen-Yu Song and Hong-Ping Yu.
Author contributions: Song CY and Yu HP wrote and edited the manuscript, they contributed equally to this article, they are the co-first authors of this manuscript; Mu FY, Lu JS, Yang M, Chang MH, and Wang KY contributed to review; Lu JS and Yang M contributed to edit; Wang KY conceived and revised this paper; and all authors thoroughly reviewed and endorsed the final manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (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: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Kai-Yang Wang, MD, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 600 Yishan Road, Shanghai 200233, China. ortho_wang@163.com
Received: June 27, 2025 Revised: August 10, 2025 Accepted: October 20, 2025 Published online: November 18, 2025 Processing time: 140 Days and 23.4 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: The role of neutrophils and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in the pathogenesis of heterotopic ossification (HO) has been extensively studied. Neutrophils accelerate the progression of HO through multiple molecular mechanisms, including upregulating the expression levels of bone morphogenetic protein, interleukin-1α and transforming growth factor β, leading to osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. Meanwhile, the presence of NETs causes the local area to remain in persistent inflammation, which provides a suitable microenvironment for bone formation. By transplanting umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells and applying batroxobin, QBM076, necrosulfonamide and peptidylarginine deaminase 4 to target neutrophils or NETs, which can play a positive role in the treatment of HO. The therapeutic potential of NETs for addressing HO warrants further investigation in future studies.
