Tuberculosis is one of the most common and lethal infections that afflict mankind.The study of its pathogenesis has occupied generations of investigators who havefocused primarily on the role of host cellular immunity in containing the infection.Conversely, little attention has been paid to the initial stages of infection wherethe innate immune system’s ‘first responders’, the neutrophils, may play animportant role. In this issue, Hilda et al. review the role of neutrophils in theearly response to (MTB) infection andidentify much-needed areas of investigation. They point out the importance ofneutrophils in the early recruitment and activation of other immune respondersthrough the generation of cytokines and, perhaps less appreciated, their role in theuptake and killing of the MTB bacilli. They also point out that the excessiveneutrophil response may lead to tissue destruction which greatly facilitatesgranuloma formation, a hallmark of MTB infection. This well-balanced review updatesour understanding of recent developments in neutrophil physiology and fairlyrepresents the controversies in the field, as well as suggesting fruitful areas offurther research.
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