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.

Chemokines are a superfamily of low molecular weight cytokines that were initially described based on their ability to induce the directed migration of leukocytes to sites of inflammation or injury. In humans, there are approximately 45 chemokines that bind to 19 G-protein-coupled receptors. In addition to mediating cellular migration, chemokines have now been shown to affect many cellular functions including survival, adhesion, invasion, proliferation, and to regulate circulating chemokine levels. Although chemokine receptors were first described on leukocytes, it is now appreciated that chemokine receptors are also expressed by many other cells including endothelial and epithelial cells. Since the first description of chemokine receptors on malignant cells in 2001, an extensive literature has developed describing the expression and function of chemokine receptors in many malignancies. These studies support the initial hypothesis that malignant cells use chemokine receptors to migrate to distant sites of ligand expression and that expression of certain receptors is associated with a poor prognosis. It has also become apparent that malignancies of different tissues may use a diverse profile of chemokine receptors and that the same receptor may mediate metastasis to different sites in tumors of different histological origins. Receptor function may also maintain survival and expansion of the primary tumor.

Chemokines are hormone-like signaling molecules secreted by cells to signal infection and guide the immune response. Following a decade of basic chemokine research, the pharmaceutical industry has now begun to exploit this crucial signaling pathway for the development of innovative drugs against AIDS, cancer, neural and autoimmune diseases. Here is the first reference focusing on these novel drug development opportunities. Opening with a general introduction on chemokine function and chemokine receptor biology, the second part covers the known implications of these signaling molecules in human diseases, such as cancer, neural disorders, and viral infection, including AIDS. The third part systematically surveys current drug development efforts at targeting individual chemokine receptors, as well as other chemokine interaction partners, including up-to-date reports from the pharmaceutical industry.

Chemokine Receptors and NeuroAIDS: Beyond the Co-receptor Function and Links to Other Neuropathologies focuses on unresolved or emerging issues concerning the role of chemokine receptors in neuronal injury and HIV neuropathology, including their ability to regulate fundamental neuronal and glial functions and their role in neurovirulence and neurotoxicity. Although the importance of these molecules in the CNS physiology and pathology is now apparent, these issues are still matter of debate, and further research is required to design effective pharmacological agents that specifically target the brain chemokine system without major side effects. To this end, specific topics have been selected and are reviewed by international experts within the basic science/medical community. This book encourages investigation in the most controversial areas and fosters interaction between clinicians and basic scientists. The book also increases awareness about differences in disease progression among different parts of the world as well as selected patient populations, which may also help identifying novel therapeutic strategies.

This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue "Regulation of Chemokine-Receptor Interactions and Functions" that was published in IJMS

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

This volume reviews the current research in Chemokine Receptors and their role in physiological processes in the body, as well as their role in different pathological conditions. Chemokine Receptors are important for the migration of different types of cells, including immune cells to lymphoid organs and non-lymphoid organs thanks to the interaction with chemokines. The presence of different chemokine receptors on the cells' surface was studied in normal states and diseases, some of them correlating with migration of subsets that play pro-disease roles or other help controlling the condition. Currently, state-of-the-art technology is helping researchers to better identify gene and protein expression of chemokine receptors at the single cell level. This large new data reveals the complexity of co-expression of various markers in the same cells and as well among different types of cells. Moreover, chemokine receptors are also helpful to identify different stages among subsets, and their correlation with better or worst responses in disease. Finally, treatments designed to inhibit or to block chemokine receptors are designed and tested at the preclinical and clinical level with different results. Here, we focus on the main chemokine receptors described in the current literature that play a role in health and diseases such as infections, autoimmune disorders, and cancer. - Chemokine receptors in the era of single cell gene and protein analysis - Chemokine receptor's role in COVID-19 - Update in the role of chemokine receptors in health and disease

This authoritative reference presents the latest research on the role of chemokines, chemokine receptors, and genetic variability in the susceptibility, prevention, and treatment of HIV-1-exploring new therapeutic strategies for improved treatment of HIV-1 infected patients by blocking chemokine receptor expression. With contributions from s

Virtually involved in all pathologies that present an inflammatory component, it is now evident that, in the central nervous system, chemokines and chemokine receptors possess pleiotropic properties beyond chemotaxis: costitutive brain expression of chemokines and their receptors on endothelial cells, but also on neurons and glia, suggests a role for such molecules in mediating homeostatic cross-talk between cells of the brain perenchyma. Cross-talk between neurons and glia is determinant to the establishment and maintenance of a brain enviroment that ensure normal function, and in particular glial cells are active players that respond to enviromental changes and act for the survival, growth, differentiation and repair of the nervous tissue: in this regard brain endogenous chemokines represent key molecules that play a role in brain development, neurogenesis, neurotransmission and neuroprotection. As important regulators of peripheral immune response, chemokines are molecules of the immune system that play a central role in coordinating communication between the nervous and the immune systems, in the context of infections and brain injury. Indeed, in phatological processes resulting from infections, brain trauma, ischemia and chronic neurodegenerative diseases, chemokines represent important neuroinflammatory mediators that drive leucocytes trafficking into the central nervous system, facilitating an immune response by targeting cells of the innate and adaptive immune system. The third edition of the international conference "Chemokines and Chemokine Receptors in the Nervous System", hold in Rome in October 2013, represented an exciting platform to promote discussion among researchers in different disciplines to understand the role of chemokines in brain homoestasis. This Frontiers Research Topic arises from this conference, and wants to be an opportunity to further discuss and highlight the importance of brain chemokines as key molecules that, not only grant the interplay between the immune and the nervous systems, but in addition drive modulatory functions on brain homeoastasis orchestrating neurons, microglia, and astrocytes communication.