Neutrophil elastase cleaves the murine hemidesmosomal protein BP180/type XVII collagen and generates degradation products that modulate experimental bullous pemphigoid

► Neutrophil elastase (NE) is required for experimental bullous pemphigoid. ► NE directly cleaves BP180 in mouse and human skin. ► Recombinant murine BP180 is degraded into small peptides by NE. ► One small peptide is chemotactic for neutrophils in mice both in vitro and in vivo. ► Local injection of neutrophil elastase recruits neutrophils to the skin in mice.