The Fine Balance of Chemokines During Disease: Trafficking, Inflammation, and Homeostasis

The action of chemokines (or “chemotactic cytokines”) is recognized as an integral part of inflammatory and regulatory processes. Leukocyte mobilization during physiological conditions, trafficking of various cell types during pathological conditions, cell activation, and angiogenesis are among the target functions exerted by chemokines upon signaling via their specific receptors. Current research is focused in analyzing changes in chemokine/chemokine receptor patterns during various diseases with the aim to modulate pathological trafficking of cells, or to attract particular cell types to specific tissues. This review focuses on defining the role(s) of certain chemokine ligands and receptors in inflammatory neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis. In addition, the role(s) of chemokines in neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease is also described, as well as the contribution of chemokines to the pathogenesis of cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.