Chemokines and their receptors in central nervous system disease

Almost a decade ago, it was discovered that the human deficiency virus (HIV) makes use of chemokine receptors to infect blood cells. This appreciation of the clinical relevance of specific chemokine receptors has initiated a considerable boost in the field of chemokine research. It is clear today that chemokine signaling orchestrates the immune system and is widely involved in both physiological and pathophysiological processes. Since the chemokine system offers various targets through which pathology could be influenced, most pharmaceutical companies have chosen this system as a therapeutic target for a variety of diseases. Here recent developments concerning the role of chemokines in diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) as well as their possible therapeutic relevance are discussed.