CXC CHEMOKINES AND ANGIOGENESIS ANGIOSTASIS

Angiogenesis is important to a variety of physiological and pathologic al processes. While a variety of factors have been determined to regul ate angiogenesis, members of the CXC chemokine family can either promo te or inhibit this process. This disparity in biological behavior is d ue to the presence or absence of a structural-functional domain-three amino acid residues (Glu-Leu-Arg: the ''ELR-motif'') that precede the first cysteine amino acid residue of the primary structure of these cy tokines. The purpose of this study is to introduce the topic of angiog enesis and focuses on the CXC chemokine family, because these cytokine s are a unique family of molecules that can behave in a disparate mann er in the regulation of angiogenesis associated with either chronic in flammatory-fibroproliferative disorders or tumor growth.