Between Protection and Damage – Evolving Concepts of Neutrophil Function in Immunity and Disease.

Frau Prof. Jablonska-Koch, Universitätsklinikum Essen

Neutrophils are the most abundant cells of the innate immune system and form the body’s first barrier against infection. Once regarded as short-lived, unspecific effector cells, they are now recognized as highly plastic and tightly regulated players that critically shape the balance between immunity, inflammation, and tissue homeostasis.

Their functions span a broad spectrum from pro-regenerative to cytotoxic, and this functional duality underlies their impact across a variety of pathological contexts. Beyond cancer, where neutrophils can both promote tumor progression and support anti-tumor immunity, they also influence the course of diseases such as stroke, neonatal hypoxia–ischemia, and cardiovascular disorders. In these settings, neutrophils may foster tissue protection and regeneration, yet can also contribute to secondary injury.

Moreover, neutrophils modulate therapeutic outcomes in oncology by dynamically responding to immuno- and chemotherapy, thereby influencing treatment efficacy. Emerging evidence further suggests that neutrophils shape the composition of the microbiome and, through this interaction, exert long-term effects on systemic immune regulation.

These evolving concepts redefine neutrophils as central, context-dependent regulators of biological processes—far beyond their classical role in host defense. Their study bridges immunology, oncology, neuroscience, cardiology, and microbiology, and opens new perspectives for interdisciplinary approaches in diagnosis and therapy.

 

Wiss. Werdegang Jadwiga Jablonska-Koch

Jadwiga Jablonska-Koch is Professor and Head of Translational Oncology at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany. She is also a Guest Professor at Sichuan University, Chengdu, China, and serves as a Councilor of the Society for Leukocyte Biology (SLB).

She obtained her M.Sc. in Microbiology from the University of Wrocław, Poland, and in 2004 her Ph.D. (Dr. rer. nat.) in Molecular Immunology from the Technical University of Braunschweig, Germany. From 2004 to 2014, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research in Braunschweig, 2014 she moved to Eberhard Karl University of Tübingen where she led the Translational Oncology group in the Department of Internal Medicine II. Since 2016, she has been leading the Translational Oncology Research Unit at the University Hospital Essen.

She serves as site speaker (2FP) of the DFG-funded Collaborative Research Center TRR332 “Neutrophils: origin, fate & function” and is a Principal Investigator associated with the German Cancer Consortium (DKTK). In 2020, she received Outstanding Achievement Award "Health and Research" Essen.Gesund.Vernetzt. - Medizinische Gesellschaft e.V., Essen.

Jadwiga Jablonska-Koch is a member of the Faculty Committee for Research and Academic Career Development, and a board member of both the Medical Scientist Academy (UMESciA) and the Clinician Scientist Academy (UMEA) at the University of Duisburg-Essen. She serves as Associate Editor of Molecular Cancer (Nature Publishing Group), Journal of Leukocyte Biology (Society for Leukocyte Biology) and Cancer Immunity and Immunotherapy.

Her research focuses on elucidating the role of neutrophils in cancer and infection, and on translating these insights into targeted therapeutic strategies.