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The chemokine system: redundancy for robust outputs
1Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche 'Mario Negri', Via Eritrea 62-20157 Milan Italy. MANTOVANI@irfmn.mnegri.it
Immunology Today
|June 4, 1999
Summary
Chemokines exhibit functional redundancy and promiscuous receptor usage, with cells producing multiple overlapping chemokines. This inherent robustness offers a framework for understanding the complex chemokine system.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Chemokines play crucial roles in immune cell trafficking and function.
- The chemokine system displays significant redundancy and promiscuity in receptor interactions.
- Cells often co-produce multiple chemokines with overlapping biological activities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a conceptual framework for understanding the robustness of the chemokine system.
- To explain the functional redundancy and promiscuous receptor usage of chemokines.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of existing data on chemokine function and receptor interactions.
- Review of studies on chemokine production by various cell types.
Main Results:
- Chemokine redundancy and promiscuity are not limitations but rather key features of the system.
- Overlapping chemokine actions enhance the system's robustness and efficiency.
Conclusions:
- The robustness of the chemokine system, characterized by redundancy and promiscuity, provides a unified explanation for these phenomena.
- This framework aids in understanding immune responses and developing targeted therapies.