The directed migration of cells in response to chemical cues is known as chemoattraction, and plays a key role in the temporal and spatial positioning of cells in lower- and higher-order life forms. Key molecules in this process are the chemotactic cytokines, or chemokines, which, in humans, constitute a family of approx. 40 molecules. Chemokines exert their effects by binding to specific GPCRs (G-protein-coupled receptors) which are present on a wide variety of mature cells and their progenitors, notably leucocytes. The inappropriate or excessive generation of chemokines is a key component of the inflammatory response observed in several clinically important diseases, notably allergic diseases such as asthma. Consequently, much time and effort has been directed towards understanding which chemokine receptors and ligands are important in the allergic response with a view to therapeutic intervention. Such strategies can take several forms, although, as the superfamily of GPCRs has historically proved amenable to blockade by small molecules, the development of specific antagonists has been has been a major focus of several groups. In the present review, I detail the roles of chemokines and their receptors in allergic disease and also highlight current progress in the development of relevant chemokine receptor antagonists.
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February 2011
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Review Article|
January 27 2011
Targeting chemokine receptors in allergic disease
James E. Pease
James E. Pease
1
1Leukocyte Biology, and MRC and Asthma UK Centre in Allergic Mechanisms of Asthma, NHLI Division, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
1email j.pease@imperial.ac.uk
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
July 26 2010
Revision Received:
October 20 2010
Accepted:
October 27 2010
Online ISSN: 1470-8728
Print ISSN: 0264-6021
© The Authors Journal compilation © 2011 Biochemical Society
2011
Biochem J (2011) 434 (1): 11–24.
Article history
Received:
July 26 2010
Revision Received:
October 20 2010
Accepted:
October 27 2010
Citation
James E. Pease; Targeting chemokine receptors in allergic disease. Biochem J 15 February 2011; 434 (1): 11–24. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/BJ20101132
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