The link between inflammatory disease and patterns of leukocyte recruitment

Leukocytes participate in different ways in inflammatory diseases. The nature of the disease can be seen as a reflection, in part, of the migration patterns of different leukocyte types in asthma versus inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The molecular basis that underlies the selective recruitment of distinct leukocytes to unique microenvironments is a result of the interplay of selectins, integrins and chemoattractants. The ability to understand and dissect these pathways in disease processes will be an important tool for the development of novel therapeutics with highly effective suppressive potential and greatly reduced side-effects.