Silver nanoparticles rapidly induce atypical human neutrophil cell death by a process involving inflammatory caspases and reactive oxygen species and induce neutrophil extracellular traps release upon cell adhesion.

Inflammation is one of the major toxic effects reported in response to in vitro or in vivo nanoparticle (NP) exposure. Among engineered NPs, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are very attractive for the development of therapeutic strategies, especially because of their antimicrobial properties. In humans, neutrophils, key players in inflammation, are the most abundant blood leukocytes that spontaneously undergo apoptosis, a central cell death mechanism regulating inflammation.