The NET effect of clot formation

The study in this issue by Brill et al. 1 describing the role of activated neutrophil-derived DNA and associated nuclear proteins (termed neutrophil extracellular traps [NETs]) in an experimental model of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is intriguing both mechanistically and in terms of implications for human disease prevention or treatment. Since the discovery of NETs as a rapid response to microbial stimulation [2], their impact on the hemostatic system has been studied in increasing detail [3]. Nevertheless, new studies of the functional effect of NETs in vivo continue to expand upon extracellular roles for DNA, and in doing so renew interest in the hemostatic role of the leukocyte.