Chemokine Biology

Chemokines play an important role in recruiting inflammatory cells into tissues in response to infection and inflammation. They also play an important role in coordinating the movement of T-cells, B-cells and dentritic cells, necessary to generate an immune response (response to injury, allergens, antigens, invading microorganisms). They selectively attract leukocytes to inflammatory foci, inducing both cell migration and activation. They are involved in various diseases, like atherosclerosis, lung and skin inflammation, multiple sclerosis, or HIV. Volume 2 of this two-volume set discusses the pathophysiology of chemokines. It is divided into two parts: a) chemokines in animal disease models, and b) chemokines as drug targets. Together with volume 1, which discusses the immunobiology of chemokines, both volumes give a comprehensive overview of chemokine biology.

Chemokines play an important role in recruiting inflammatory cells into tissues in response to infection and inflammation. They also play an important role in coordinating the movement of T-cells, B-cells and dentritic cells, necessary to generate an immune response (response to injury, allergens, antigens, invading microorganisms). They selectively attract leukocytes to inflammatory foci, inducing both cell migration and activation. They are involved in various diseases, like atherosclerosis, lung and skin inflammation, multiple sclerosis, or HIV. Volume 1 of this two-volume set discusses the immunobiology of chemokines. It is divided into two parts: a) cellular targets in innate and adaptive immunity, and b) effector cell traffic-unrelated functions. Together with volume 2, which discusses the pathophysiology of chemokines, both volumes give a comprehensive overview of chemokine biology.

This volume in the Current Topics in Membranes series discusses the biology of chemokines and their binding partners, chemokine receptors, in normal and disease-related states. Chemokines are small proteins that are important in normal immune responses. Recent research demonstrates a role for these proteins in a variety of diseases such as heart disease, allergy, asthma, and cancer. As a result of the discovery of this link to disease, the topic of chemokines and drugs that block their actions has become an intense are of study. This book presents the topics of chemokines, chemokine receptors, and related pathologies in an integrated manner that provides the reader with a comprehensive and up-to-date knowledge of these topics. Provides a comprehensive overview of the history, molecular biology, cell biology, pharmacology, physiology, and pathophysiology of chemokines and their receptors Each chapter discusses "future directions and unanswered questions" of chemokine biology Serves as a road map for future research

Chemokines play an important role in recruiting inflammatory cells into tissues in response to infection and inflammation. They also play an important role in coordinating the movement of T-cells, B-cells and dentritic cells, necessary to generate an immune response (response to injury, allergens, antigens, invading microorganisms). They selectively attract leukocytes to inflammatory foci, inducing both cell migration and activation. They are involved in various diseases, like atherosclerosis, lung and skin inflammation, multiple sclerosis, or HIV. Volume 1 of this two-volume set discusses the immunobiology of chemokines. It is divided into two parts: a) cellular targets in innate and adaptive immunity, and b) effector cell traffic-unrelated functions. Together with volume 2, which discusses the pathophysiology of chemokines, both volumes give a comprehensive overview of chemokine biology.

How do you keep track of basic information on the proteins you work with? Where do you find details of their physicochemical properties, amino acid sequences, gene organization? Are you tired of scanning review articles, primary papers and databases to locate that elusive fact? The Academic Press FactsBook series will satisfy scientists and clinical researchers suffering from information overload. Each volume provides a catalog of the essential properties of families of molecules. Gene organization, amino acid sequences, physicochemical properties, and biological activity are presented using a common, easy-to-follow format. Taken together they compile everything you want to know about proteins but are too busy to look for. The Chemokine FactsBook contains more than 40 entries on chemokines, and chemokine receptors from human or other origin, including IL-8, MCP-1, C5-a, RANTES, Lymphotactin, and CC CKR-1. The text provides information on tissue sources, target cells, physicochemical properties, transcription factors, regulation of expression in disease, receptor-binding characteristics, gene structure and location, amino acid sequences, and accession numbers and references. Contains over 40 entries on chemokines and chemokine receptors from human or other origin, including: IL-8 MCP-1 C5-a RANTES Lymphotactin CC CKR-1 Entries provide information on: Tissue sources Target cells Physicochemical properties Transcription factors Regulation of expression Expression in disease Receptor-binding characteristics Gene structure and location Amino acid sequences Database accession numbers References

This volume, new to The Receptors series, focuses on several areas, including the birth, maturation, and structure of Chemokines; Neutrophil, Dendritic, and Lymphocyte trafficking; and Chemokine Receptors in diseases such as AIDs and lung cancer. In particular the book contains cutting-edge information ranging from basic molecular and cellular mechanisms to physiological and pathological roles of chemokines.

The first symposium in this series was held at the Royal College of Surgeons of England in December 1988 and was entitled "Novel Neutrophil Stimulating Peptides". That symposium successfully brought together the majority of laboratories working in the area of interleukin-8 and related peptides; see Immunology Today 10: 146-147 (1989). The Second International Symposium on Chemotactic Cytokines was held at the same venue in June 1990, and a much-increased attendance reflected the accelerating pace of work in the area of these chemotactic cytokines. The proceedings of that meeting were published in Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol. 305 (1991). The rapid advances made in the field of chemotactic cytokines over the last 18 months necessitated a third Symposium in this series to collate and place in perspective an explosion of new data. The Third International Symposium on Chemotactic Cytokines was held between August 31 and September 1, 1992 in Baden-bei-Wien, Austria. However, the lack of a clear nomenclature system was creating some confusion in the area, especially as new factors continue to be discovered and classified as family members. In the past, these inflammatory mediators had been placed arbitrarily under the broad heading of "intercrines" or "chemotactic cytokines" with no clear classification guidelines to follow. This nomenclature issue was addressed at the Symposium, where investigators in the field were invited to reach a consensus regarding a collective name for these mediators. The resulting decision was to identify the major family as chemokines, to replace all previous terms.

Chemoattractant Ligands and Their Receptors succinctly summarizes cutting-edge research in the important area of chemoattraction in immunology. It explains how chemoattractant molecules mobilize immune cells to ward off attack by invading pathogens, both at a molecular and at a cellular level. Written by acknowledged experts in the field, it contains detailed molecular and structural information on each of the major chemoattractants and their receptors. Its unique multidisciplinary approach encompasses biology, immunology, protein chemistry, and molecular biology. A time-saving reference for both researchers and students.

Chemokines constitute a large family of structurally similar cytokines that contain a signature of conserved cysteine residues joined by disulfide bridges. Binding of chemokines to specific G protein-coupled receptors followed by downstream signaling defines their biological function. Initially, chemoattraction was the key function linked to chemokines/chemokine receptors; however, in recent years, it has become clear that chemokine ligand-receptor interactions can also modulate cellular activation, survival, and proliferation, among other functions in homeostatic and diseased states. Importantly, major advances in our understanding of chemokine biology have led to chemokine receptors becoming specific therapeutic targets with great potential. In Chemokines: Methods and Protocols, expert researchers provide practical information regarding experimental models and state of the art protocols used to delineate chemokine/chemokine receptor function and their applications in health and disease. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Practical and easy to use, Chemokines: Methods and Protocols aims to reveal key protocols of functional and descriptive chemokine ligand/receptor assays that will be of practical significance to graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, trainees, and researchers in academia and industry.