Chemokine receptors

Although chemokines were originally defined as host defense proteins it is now clear that their repertoire of functions extend well beyond this role. For example chemokines such as MGSA have growth regulatory properties while members of the CXC chemokine family can be mediators or inhibitors of angiogenesis and may be important targets for oncology. Recent work shows that the chemokine receptor CXCR4 and its cognate ligand SDF play important roles in the development of the immune, circulatory and central nervous systems. In addition, chemokine receptors play an important role in the pathogenesis of the AIDS virus, HIV-1. Taken together these findings expand the biological importance of chemokines from that of simple immune modulators to a much broader biological role than was at first appreciated and these and other properties of the chemokine receptor family are discussed in detail in this review.