To inhibit or to stimulate, that is the key question for researchers investigating the potential of neutrophil therapy for sepsis. While neutrophils appear to be a promising target for anti-inflammatory therapy, their function is turning out to be far more complex than expected. At the 16th International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine [Brussels, Belgium; March 1996], studies in an animal model of sepsis have shown that inhibiting neutrophil activity can either extend or reduce survival duration, depending on the severity and site of septic infection. However, the same is true for treatments that stimulate neutrophil activity. So researchers are now faced with the question of how to apply these seemingly conflicting findings to the clinical setting.