Abstract: The Inflammation Biology Section in the Laboratory of Molecular Immunology studies chemokines and their receptors in lymphocyte biology. The chemokines constitute a family of more than forty-five chemotactic cytokines that are produced by a wide range of cells, often in response to inflammatory stimuli and pleiotropic cytokines. Chemokines signal through a subfamly, containing nineteen known members, of seven transmembrane domain G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) that are found on (but not limited to) all hematopoietic cells. In the physiology of the immune system, chemokines and their receptors are essential for the development of the immune system, for immune homeostasis, and for host defense. In immune system pathophysiology, chemokines and their receptors are increasingly recognized as critical in a range of diseases due to inflammation/autoimmunity, cancer, and HIV. The chemokine system is an essential contributor to HIV disease, since the chemokine receptors CCR5 and CXCR4 (and perhaps others) are exploited by HIV as obligatory co-receptors for viral entry. Because many drugs have been developed that work as GPCR agonists or antagonists, a driving force in chemokine research is the presumption that chemokine receptors can be targeted to diminish inflammatory injury or treat HIV infection. Research in the Inflammation Biology Section focused initially on the discovery and, subsequently, on the characterization of chemokines and chemokine receptors that act on lymphocytes. Our goal is to integrate work on the chemokine system with a broader understanding the biology of effector/memory T-cell populations in order to enhance the development of new and better vaccines and new treatments for immune-mediated disease.
Publication Year: 2010
Publication Date: 2010-01-01
Language: en
Type: book-chapter
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 5
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