Extracellular matrix mediated control of immune cell recruitment and positioning in health and disease

The immune system allows our body to kill bacteria and viruses (pathogens) that infect us. A key part of this system is how the cells that kill pathogens (immune cells) arrive where they are needed.
Chemokines direct immune cells to sites of infection to enable our bodies to attack pathogens. However, sometimes this can be triggered when there is no infection, producing damage of healthy tissue. This can lead to diseases such as cancer, inflammatory arthritis and atherosclerosis that are significant global problems.
Despite this integral role of chemokines, and over 20 years of research, there are no therapies in the clinic that target chemokines during inflammation. Thus, drugs targeted at the specific processes mediated by chemokines are a strong prospect for future therapies. This proposal will identify specific steps in the inflammatory process to target and may highlight novel drugs as candidates to treat inflammatory diseases.