CX3C - a breathtaking chemokine in asthma and allergy

Allergic asthma is a chronic inflammatory lung disease that is thought to be driven by T helper 2 (TH2) cells. The understanding of the mechanisms responsible for T cell recruitment and activation in the allergic lung remains limited.

A new study now shows that CX3C-chemokine receptor 1 (CX3CR1) and its ligand, CX3C-chemokine ligand 1 (CX3CL1), exacerbate allergic airway disease by promoting the survival of effector T cells in the inflamed lung.


52 chemokines from 4 families have been described. They interact with 20 receptors (click here for a larger image).

References:

Asthma and allergy: A breathtaking chemokine. Nature Reviews Immunology 10, 810-811 (December 2010) | doi:10.1038/nri2897
CX3CL1 (fractalkine) in allergic diseases: not just a chemotactic molecule  http://goo.gl/eRqRm

Chemokines