Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Promote the Development and Progression of Liver Metastases after Surgical Stress

Risks of tumor recurrence after surgical resection have been known for decades, but the mechanisms underlying treatment failures remain poorly understood. Neutrophils, first-line responders after surgical stress, may play an important role in linking inflammation to cancer progression. In response to stress, neutrophils can expel their protein-studded chromatin to form local snares known as neutrophil extracellular traps (NET). In this study, we asked whether, as a result of its ability to ensnare moving cells, NET formation might promote metastasis after surgical stress. Consistent with this hypothesis, in a cohort of patients undergoing attempted curative liver resection for metastatic colorectal cancer, we…