Identifying chemokines as therapeutic targets in renal disease: Lessons from antagonist studies and knockout mice

Chemokines, in concert with cytokines and adhesion molecules, play
multiple roles in local and systemic immune responses. In the
kidney, the temporal and spatial expression of chemokines
correlates with local renal damage and accumulation of chemokine
receptor-bearing leukocytes. Chemokines play important roles in
leukocyte trafficking and blocking chemokines can effectively
reduce renal leukocyte recruitment and subsequent renal damage.
However, recent data indicate that blocking chemokine or chemokine
receptor activity in renal disease may also exacerbate renal
inflammation under certain conditions. An increasing amount of data
indicates additional roles of chemokines in the regulation of
innate and adaptive immune responses, which may adversively affect
the outcome of interventional studies. This review summarizes
available in vivo studies on the blockade of chemokines and
chemokine receptors in kidney diseases, with a special focus on the
therapeutic potential of anti-chemokine strategies, including
potential side effects, in renal disease. Copyright (C) 2004 S.
Karger AG, Basel.