Chemokine-binding proteins represent a novel class of antichemokine agents encoded by poxviruses and herpesviruses. One such protein is encoded by the M3 gene present in the murine gammaherpesvirus 68 (MHV-68) genome. The M3 gene encodes a secreted 44-kDa protein that binds with high affinity to certain murine and human chemokines and has been shown to block chemokine signaling in vitro. Howeve...

Chemokines are secreted proteins that direct the migration of immune cells and are involved in numerous disease states. For example, CCL21 (CC chemokine ligand 21) and CCL19 (CC chemokine ligand 19) recruit antigen-presenting dendritic cells and naïve T-cells to the lymph nodes and are thought to play a role in lymph node metastasis of CCR7 (CC chemokine receptor 7)-expressing cancer cells. For...

Approximately 10% to 20% of patients optimally treated for early Lyme disease develop persistent symptoms of unknown pathophysiology termed posttreatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS). The objective of this study was to investigate associations between PTLDS and immune mediator levels during acute illness and at several time points following treatment. Seventy-six participants with physician-do...

PURPOSE The graft site microenvironment has a profound effect on alloimmunity and graft survival. We aimed to study the kinetics and phenotype of trafficking antigen-presenting cells (APC) to the draining lymph nodes (DLNs) in a mouse model of corneal transplantation, and to evaluate the homing mechanisms through which graft site inflammation controls APC trafficking. METHODS Allogeneic donor...

The purpose of this work was to analyze chemokine and chemokine receptor expression in untreated and in irradiated squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) tumor cell lines, aiming at the establishment of assays to test for the relevance of chemokine and chemokine receptor expression in the response of SCCHN to radiotherapy and radiochemotherapy. Five low passage and 10 established ...

Innate and adaptive immunity has evolved complex molecular mechanisms regulating immune cell migration to facilitate the dynamic cellular interactions required for its function involving the chemokines and their receptors. One important chemokine receptor in the immune system is represented by CCR7. Together with its ligands CCL19 and CCL21, this chemokine receptor controls different arrays of ...

Dendritic cells (DCs) are key in regulating immune responses. DCs reside in tissues facing the environment and sample their surrounding for pathogens. Upon pathogen encounter, DCs mature and migrate into secondary lymphoid organs. Distinct maturation signals dictate the ability of DCs to produce distinct patterns of chemokines that orchestrate immunity. Prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) is produced d...

Meningeal inflammation, including the presence of semi-organized tertiary lymphoid tissue, has been associated with cortical pathology at autopsy in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). Accessible and robust biochemical markers of cortical inflammation for use in SPMS clinical trials are needed. Increased levels of chemokines in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) can report on inflammato...

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) are stromal cells with the ability to proliferate and differentiate into many tissues. Although they represent powerful tools for several therapeutic settings, mechanisms regulating their migration to peripheral tissues are still unknown. Here, we report chemokine receptor expression on human BM-MSCs and their role in mediating migration to t...

Adaptive immunity is involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, but the recruitment of T and B lymphocytes to atherosclerotic lesions is not as well studied as that of monocytes. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the role of lymphocyte subsets in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and discuss chemokines and chemokine receptors involved in lymphocyte homing to athe...