A novel assay of neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation identifies anti-IL-8 therapies to reduce disseminated intravascular coagulation and mortality in the intensive care unit.

Neutrophils are the first line of defence against bacterial infection, and formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) is an important protective mechanism. NETs can also be harmful by inducing intravascular coagulation and multi-organ failure (MOF) in animal models.1–6 Although increasingly considered as important therapeutic targets,7–9 there is currently no robust and specific measure of NET formation to inform clinical care and enable precision medicine in patients on the intensive care unit (ICU). The aim of this study is to establish a novel assay for measuring NETs and assess its clinical significance.