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Abstract

Neutrophil infiltration into inflamed and infected tissues is a fundamental process of the innate immune response. While neutrophil interactions with the blood vessel wall have been intensely studied over the last decades, neutrophil dynamics beyond the vasculature have for a long time remained poorly investigated. Recent intravital microscopy studies of neutrophil populations directly at the site of tissue damage or microbial invasion have changed our perspective on neutrophil responses within tissues. Swarm-like migration patterns of neutrophils, referred to as 'neutrophil swarming', have been detected in diverse tissues under conditions of sterile inflammation and infection with various pathogens, including bacteria, fungi, and parasites. Current work has begun to unravel the molecular pathways choreographing the sequential phases of highly coordinated chemotaxis followed by neutrophil accumulation and the formation of substantial neutrophil clusters. It is now clear that intercellular communication among neutrophils amplifies their recruitment in a feed-forward manner, which provides them with a level of self-organization during neutrophil swarming. This review will summarize recent developments and current concepts on neutrophil swarming, an important process of the neutrophil tissue response with a critical role in maintaining the balance between host protection and inflammation-driven tissue destruction.