Chemokines

Chemokines are small proteins that play a vital role in regulating immune cell migration and inflammation. These molecules guide immune cells to sites of infection, injury, or inflammation through a process called chemotaxis. Classified into four main families (CC, CXC, CX3C, and XC), chemokines interact with specific chemokine receptors on target cells to initiate signaling pathways that control cell activation, differentiation, and immune responses. Chemokines are essential in various physiological processes, including immune surveillance, wound healing, and cancer metastasis, and their dysregulation is linked to diseases like autoimmune disorders, inflammatory conditions, and cancer.