CXCL12 in control of neuroinflammation

Inflammation within the central nervous system (CNS) is strictly controlled and if possible prevented. Such a tight control is necessary due to high sensitivity of nervous tissue to mechanical and biochemical consequences of inflammation. Still, neuroinflammation is a typical feature of a chronic, inflammatory, demyelinating disease multiple sclerosis (MS) and its animal model experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). It is assumed that mechanisms that should prevent activation of immune cells at the periphery, in the lymphoid tissues, and/or inflammation within the CNS are inadequately efficient in MS patients. Here, some recent data about the importance of CXCL12 for regulation of neuroinflammation and contribution of its deviant expression within the CNS to EAE and MS pathogenesis are presented.