Abstract
Chemokines are small proteins that are well known as regulators of leukocyte migration. However, recent data have indicated that chemokines also play a number of roles in the nervous system. Here, we discuss the chemokine SDF-1/CXCL12, which has an important role in directing the migration of stem cells in the development of the nervous system. Deletion of the gene for SDF-1 or its receptor CXCR4 produces deficits in the development of numerous parts of the central and peripheral nervous systems. In the adult nervous system, SDF-1 takes on a role as a neurotransmitter and contributes to adult neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus. Other chemokines such as MCP-1/CCL2 are upregulated in the context of brain disease. In particular, we discuss the role of MCP-1 and its receptor CCR2 in the generation of chronic pain hypersensitivity. MCP-1 is upregulated by sensory nociceptors under these circumstances, and it plays a role in the control of nociceptor excitability. Overall, the data we discuss illustrate the extensive role of chemokines and their receptors in the control of neural development and disease.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Chemokine Receptors and NeuroAIDS |
| Subtitle of host publication | Beyond Co-Receptor Function and Links to Other Neuropathologies |
| Publisher | Springer New York |
| Pages | 191-220 |
| Number of pages | 30 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781441907936 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781441907929 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1 2010 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Medicine
- General Neuroscience