title: Chemokines as effector and target molecules in vascular biology.
abstract: Chemokines are key mediators of inflammation. In pathological tissues, the main roles of chemokines are to regulate leucocyte accumulation through the activation of oriented cell migration and the activation of limited programs of gene transcription. Through these activities, chemokines exert many crucial functions, including the regulation of angiogenesis. The 'chemokine system' is tightly regulated at several levels, such as the post-transcriptional processing of ligands, the regulation of the expression and function of the receptors and through the expression of molecules known as 'atypical chemokine receptors', proteins that function as chemokine scavenging and presenting molecules. Several experimental evidence obtained in vitro, in animal models and in human studies, has defined a crucial role of chemokines in cardiovascular diseases. An intense area of research is currently exploring the possibility to develop new effective therapeutic strategies through the identification of chemokine receptor antagonists.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Viale Europa, 11, University of Brescia, Brescia 25123, Italy Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, Italy silvano.sozzani@unibs.it.
authors.forename: Silvano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sozzani
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Viale Europa, 11, University of Brescia, Brescia 25123, Italy Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, Italy.
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Del Prete
authors.affiliation: Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, Italy Humanitas University, Rozzano, Italy.
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bonecchi
authors.affiliation: Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano, Italy Department of Medical Biotechnologies and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Locati
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D018925:Chemokines / Q000502:physiology*; D002634:Chemotaxis, Leukocyte; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018925:Chemokines; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine
keywords: Angiogenesis; Atypical chemokine receptors; Chemokine receptors; Chemokines; Vascular biology