Chemokine systems

The opioid and the chemokine systems constitute two vital signaling networks in the brain and periphery and a brief background on these individual pathways in the CNS would help appreciate the relevance of their cross-talk in normal as well as diseased brain. 

Johnson Z, Schwarz M, Power CA, Wells TN, Proudfoot AE. Multi-faceted strategies to combat disease by interference with the chemokine system. Trends Immunol 2005 26(5) 268-274. 

In addition to CIA, there are several other models of arthritis that have also provided evidence for an important role of the chemokine system. Next, we will review some of the data available regarding the contribution of chemokines to disease pathogenesis in specific model systems beyond mere description of any given factor in the joints. 

Johnson, Z., Kosco-Vibois, M., Herren, S., Cirillo, R., Muzio, V., Smailbegovis, A., Rose, M., Lever, R., Page, C., Wells, T., and Proudfoot, A. E. I. (2004). Interference with heparin binding and oligomerization creates a novel antiinflammatory strategy targeting the chemokine system. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, submitted. 

Mantovani, A. (1999). The chemokine system Redundancy for robust outputs. Immunol. Today 20, 254-257. 

Holst PJ, Rosenkilde MM. Microbiological exploitation of the chemokine system. Microbes and Infection 2003 5 179-87. 

Chemokines play an essential role in linking the innate and adaptive immune responses by orchestrating leukocyte trafficking. The chemokine system consists of a group of small polypeptides and their receptors. Chemokines possess four conserved cysteines. Based on... 

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