Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2025, Vol. 29 ›› Issue (15): 3235-3243.doi: 10.12307/2025.174

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Role of neutrophils in fracture healing and the promoting effect on healing after intervention

Gu Xinbo, Liu Zemin, Sun Haiyu   

  1. Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030000, Shanxi Province, China
  • Received:2024-03-14 Accepted:2024-04-30 Online:2025-05-28 Published:2024-11-05
  • Contact: Sun Haiyu, MD, Chief physician, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030000, Shanxi Province, China
  • About author:Gu Xinbo, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030000, Shanxi Province, China

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Macrophages exhibit distinct pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory phenotypes. Through tissue engineering techniques, their phenotype transition has made them one of the most studied immune cells in bone injury repair. Recent studies have found that neutrophils also play a significant role in bone injury repair processes, but there is currently no such review available.
OBJECTIVE: To summarize the current role of neutrophils in fracture healing and interventions targeting neutrophils to promote fracture healing.
METHODS: We searched the Web of Science, PubMed, WanFang Data, and CNKI databases from January 2000 to February 2024 with the key words of “neutrophil, fracture healing, bone damage, bone repair, bone remodeling” in Chinese and English. Literature screening was conducted based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, resulting in a final selection of 72 articles for review.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) The history of neutrophils has been long, with their importance initially overlooked due to a lack of staining techniques. In 1900, Paul Ehrlich’s invention of triacid staining distinguished neutrophils, marking the beginning of research in this field. (2) Under normal conditions, neutrophils migrate to various organs to assist in their physiological functions. In pathological states, neutrophils exert their antimicrobial effects through phagocytosis, degranulation, and the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps. (3) Neutrophils primarily participate in the early hematoma inflammation stage of fracture healing by releasing cytokines to recruit other immune cells and mesenchymal stem cells. They also produce fibrinogen to promote hematoma formation and establish a local microenvironment. (4) Neutrophils transform into two distinct subtypes, N1 and N2, at different stages of fracture healing, coordinating with each other to promote bone repair. (5) Neutrophils recruited to the fracture site participate in the healing process by secreting cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6, interleukin-10, fibroblast growth factor-2, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and platelet-derived growth factor. (6) Neutrophils regulate osteogenesis/osteolysis balance through interactions with the main cellular components involved in different stages of fracture healing. (7) Similar to the widespread research and application of tissue engineering techniques in modulating macrophage polarization in fracture healing, interventions targeting neutrophils to promote fracture healing hold promising prospects for the future.

中国组织工程研究杂志出版内容重点:人工关节;骨植入物;脊柱;骨折;内固定;数字化骨科;组织工程

Key words: neutrophils, fracture healing, inflammation, cytokine, targeted therapy

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