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Updated: May 25, 2026

Identification of Intracellular Signaling Events Induced in Viable Cells by Interaction with Neighboring Cells Undergoing Apoptotic Cell Death
Published on: December 27, 2016
Fractalkine: a survivor's guide: chemokines as antiapoptotic mediators
Gemma E White1, David R Greaves
1Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3RE, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
Chemokines are a family of low-molecular-weight proteins essential to the directed migration of cells under homeostatic and pathological conditions. Fractalkine (CX3CL1) is an unusual chemokine that can act as either a soluble or membrane-bound mediator and signals through the G protein-coupled chemokine receptor CX3CR1, expressed on monocytes, natural killer cells, T cells, and smooth muscle cells. Accumulating evidence suggests that fractalkine, in addition to its role in chemotaxis and adhesion of leukocytes, supports the survival of multiple cell types during homeostasis and inflammation. This review presents the evidence obtained from several disease models implying an antiapoptotic function for fractalkine and shows how this is relevant to the pathology of atherosclerosis and other vascular diseases. We discuss whether the key role of fractalkine, unlike other chemokines, is the promotion of cell survival and whether this has implications for vascular disease.
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