Neutrophils are the most abundant innate immune cells in human blood and are known to play a major part in infection and inflammation, being the first responders to arrive at the site of tissue damage¹. In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the crucial role that neutrophils play in a variety of diseases and in supporting homeostasis². Neutrophils not only have tightly regulated signaling themselves, but also participate in the regulation of other components of the immune system³^,⁴^,⁵. Therefore, investigating neutrophils and their many unusual cellular functions, such as chemotaxis, reverse migration⁶, phagocytosis⁷, respiratory burst⁸, and the release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs)⁷, is imperative in numerous research contexts where it is necessary to assess the potential neutrophil functional, morphological, or molecular changes triggered by specific conditions under analysis.

Freshly isolated neutrophils are terminally differentiated, short-lived, highly dynamic, and easily activated⁹. However, an efficient storage method that does not affect the neutrophil responses has not yet been achieved, making it challenging to perform multiple assays that must be uninterrupted. Furthermore, previously described functional analyses¹⁰^,¹¹, based on assays that require cytometry and/or fluorescent staining, may not be a viable choice when a broad and initial evaluation of the neutrophil is needed.

To address these issues, this protocol describes a set of tests that can be carried out following a single isolation process, including the evaluation of cell viability, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, real-time migration, and phagocytosis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, whose results can be used to reason in-depth follow-up studies. This procedure, named NeutroFun Screen, was designed to encompass the leading effector activities, except degranulation, and can be completed in an average time of 4 h, including 1 h of activation. Additionally, the remaining cells can be used for more detailed approaches like omics studies. The advantage of this method lies in its balance between speed, comprehensiveness, cost, and accuracy.

Furthermore, there is a way to easily observe a preliminary suggestion of NETs, without specific markers, but enough to indicate if further efforts in that direction would be worthwhile. The diversity of functions tested aims to combine common points among tests, reducing the analysis time and expenses. The main goal of this method is to provide a balanced, functional analysis regarding speed, comprehensiveness, cost, and accuracy that allows for an overview of the neutrophil's response, making it a useful initial step in investigating the effects of novel stimuli on normal density neutrophils.

Neutrophil Isolation and Activation