Src protein tyrosine kinase family and acute inflammatory responses

Acute inflammatory responses are one of the major underlying mechanisms for tissue damage of multiple diseases, such as ischemia-reperfusion injury, sepsis, and acute lung injury. By use of cellular and molecular approaches and transgenic animals, Src protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) family members have been identified to be essential for the recruitment and activation of monocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, and other immune cells. Src PTKs also play a critical role in the regulation of vascular permeability and inflammatory responses in tissue cells. Importantly, animal studies have demonstrated that small chemical inhibitors for Src PTKs attenuate tissue injury and improve survival from a variety of pathological conditions related to acute inflammatory responses. Further investigation may lead to the clinical application of these inhibitors as drugs for ischemia-reperfusion injury (such as stroke and myocardial infarction), sepsis, acute lung injury, and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome.