Chemokines are a family of small, structurally related proteins that may participate in immune and inflammatory responses through the chemoattraction and activation of leukocytes. These chemotactic cytokines mediate their effects by binding to the seven transmembrane domain superfamily of receptor proteins. Besides their role in leukocyte trafficking, chemokines and their receptors have been found to be implicated in a number of inflammatory and infectious diseases. Chemokines also appear to have beneficial effects involving tissue repair or tumor progression, angiogenesis, hematopoiesis, and antimicrobial mechanisms. These have recently been found to be involved in coordinating the cellular communication in the central nervous system as well. Based on these findings, chemokines agonists and antagonists targeted against chemokines and their receptors have the potential to become therapeutically important in the treatment of various diseases. This review explores the role of the chemokine system in the pathophysiology of diseases and their potential as targets for therapy.

中文翻译：

---

趋化因子及其受体：协调健康与疾病之间的良好平衡。

趋化因子是一类与结构相关的小蛋白，可以通过化学吸引和激活白细胞参与免疫和炎症反应。这些趋化性细胞因子通过与受体蛋白的七个跨膜结构域超家族结合而介导其作用。除了其在白细胞运输中的作用外，还发现趋化因子及其受体与多种炎性和感染性疾病有关。趋化因子似乎也具有有益的作用，涉及组织修复或肿瘤进展，血管生成，造血作用和抗菌机制。最近发现它们也参与协调中枢神经系统中的细胞通讯。根据这些发现，针对趋化因子及其受体的趋化因子激动剂和拮抗剂在治疗各种疾病中具有治疗上重要的潜力。这篇综述探讨了趋化因子系统在疾病的病理生理中的作用及其作为治疗靶标的潜力。