Iron-chelating agent, deferasirox, inhibits neutrophil activation and extracellular trap formation.

Iron-chelating agents, which are frequently prescribed to transfusion-dependent patients, have various useful biological effects in addition to chelation. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by neutrophils can cause pulmonary endothelial cell damage, which can lead to acute lung injury (ALI). We previously reported that deferasirox (DFS), an iron-chelating agent, inhibits phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) or formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP)-induced ROS production in neutrophils, in vitro.