PDGF and the small inducible gene (SIG) family: roles in the inflammatory response

A growing body of evidence suggests that cells responding to an initial growth, inflammatory or immune signal can respond by inducing the transcription of selective members of the SIG family. This family of related inducible cytokines are involved in the amplification, propagation and coordination of intercellular communication among cell types involved in the immune and inflammatory responses. The principal anti-inflammatory action of glucocorticoids may involve the transcriptional and translational inhibition of cytokines such as JE and other members of the SIG family to effectively disrupt the normal lines of intercellular communication which normally coordinates the immune and inflammatory response. The identification of new members of the family and the discovery of the functions of the known members will lead to a clearer understanding of the complicated processes which lead to normal and pathological immune and inflammatory responses.