Chemokines in autoimmune disease

Growing evidence indicates that structural cells play a crucial role in the chronic inflammation of autoimmunity by their recruitment of chemokine-dep endent cells. Members of the two functional classes of chemokines, inflamma tory and homeostatic, seem to be involved in lymphocyte recruitment and sur vival, and in establishing ectopic lymphoid structures in the target organs of autoimmune diseases. Results from animal models suggest that chemokines are reasonable therapeutic targets in autoimmunity.