Directional migration of leukocytes: their pathological roles in inflammation and strategies for development of anti-inflammatory therapies

Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China

Directional migration of leukocytes is indispensable to innate immunity for host defense. However, recruitment of leukocytes to a site of tissue injury also constitutes a leading cause for inflammatory responses. Mechanistically, it involves a cascade of cellular events precisely regulated by temporal and spatial presentation of a repertoire of molecules in the migrating leukocytes and their surroundings (microenvironments). Here I will summarize the emerging evidence that has shed lights on the underlying molecular mechanism for directional migration of leukocytes, which has guided the therapeutical development for innovative anti-inflammatory medicines.