Israel F Charo, M.D. , Ph.D.


Charo

Research Interests:
Structure and Function of Chemokine Receptors

Summary:
The goal of our research is to use gene targeting and creation of transgenic mice to study the in vivo functions of chemokines and chemokine receptors. Chemokines are proinflammatory cytokines that function in leukocyte chemoattraction and activation and block HIV�1 infection of target cells through interactions with chemokine receptors. In addition to their function in viral disease, chemokines have been implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, glomerulonephritis, and inflammatory lung disease. The chemokine family is growing rapidly. Our laboratory focuses primarily on two chemokines: monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) and fractalkine, a recently described and structurally unique chemokine.

 

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