Stroke is followed by an intricate immune interaction involving the engagement of multiple immune cells, including neutrophils. As one of the first responders recruited to the brain, the crucial roles of neutrophils in the ischemic brain damage are receiving increasing attention in recent years. Notably, neutrophils are not homogenous, and yet there is still a lack of full knowledge about the extent and impact of neutrophil heterogeneity. The biological understanding of the neutrophil response to both innate and pathological conditions is rapidly evolving as single-cell-RNA sequencing uncovers overall neutrophil profiling across maturation and differentiation contexts. In this review, we scrutinize the latest research that points to the multifaceted role of neutrophils in different conditions and summarize the regulatory signals that may determine neutrophil diversity. In addition, we list several potential targets or therapeutic strategies targeting neutrophils to limit brain damage following ischemic stroke.
Keywords: Ischemic stroke; blood brain barrier; neurovascular unit; neutrophil; neutrophil extracellular trap; polymorphonuclear granulocyte.