Adaptive motility enables neutrophils to rapidly navigate confined capillaries.

Neutrophils adapt their motility via Rho-dependent contractility to navigate confined capillaries, preventing occlusion and maintaining blood flow during inflammation.

• Why it matters: Understanding how neutrophils traverse narrow capillaries without disrupting blood flow is crucial for insights into immune response and vascular health, addressing a key gap in cell migration knowledge.
• What they did: The study used intravital imaging and biomimetic microdevices to observe neutrophil behavior, revealing that they sustain speed under confinement through rapid activation of actomyosin contractility at the cell rear.
• The result: Disruption of this adaptive mechanism leads to neutrophil jamming and capillary occlusion, highlighting a vital intrinsic process that preserves vascular patency and limits tissue damage during inflammation.