Chemokines and Chemokine Receptors

描述（由申请人提供）：趋化因子是趋化细胞因子家族的成员，通过7个跨膜G蛋白偶联受体介导其功能。虽然这些小蛋白最初被认为是白细胞运输的调节剂，但它们已被认为与炎症性疾病、过敏性疾病、传染病、动脉粥样硬化、伤口愈合、血管生成和肿瘤发生有关。趋化因子介导的基因表达的激活、转运、信号转导和调节机制正在深入研究中。更多地了解这些过程的一个好处将是更合理地设计小分子来阻止对这些因素的反应。这一点尤其重要，因为在许多疾病过程中，未能关闭对趋化因子的生物反应与组织损伤有关。这次关于“趋化因子”的关键会议将把研究趋化因子反应分子基础的科学家与研究疾病和免疫反应问题的有机体水平的科学家聚集在一起。由此产生的相互作用应该刺激新方法的发展，以更合理地设计趋化因子导向的治疗方法。此外，基础科学家将从学习小分子中受益，这些小分子已被开发出来，可能对进一步研究趋化因子的作用机制有用。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Chemokines are members of a family of chemotactic cytokines, which mediate their function through seven transmembrane G protein-coupled receptors. While these small proteins were initially characterized as modulators of leukocyte trafficking, they have since been associated with inflammatory disorders, allergic disease, infectious diseases, atherosclerosis, wound healing, angiogenesis, and tumorigenesis. The mechanisms for activation, trafficking, signal transduction, and modulation of gene expression mediated through chemokines are under intense study. One benefit of learning more about these processes will be the more rational design of small molecules to block responses to these factors. This is particularly critical, since in a number of disease processes, the failure to shut off biological response to chemokines is associated with tissue damage. This Keystone Conference on "Chemokines" will bring together scientists working on the molecular basis of chemokine responses with those working at the organismal level on problems of disease and the immune response. The resultant interaction should stimulate development of new approaches for more rational design of chemokine-directed therapeutics. Moreover, the basic scientists will benefit from learning about the small molecules, which have been developed that may be useful for additional studies into mechanism of action of chemokines.