

Page 60
Journal of Clinical Immunology and Allergy
ISSN: 2471-304X
16
th
EuroSciCon Conference on
Immunology
M a r c h 1 1 - 1 2 , 2 0 1 9
Am s t e r d a m , N e t h e r l a n d s
Immunology 2019
I
nflammatory processes such as those promoting atherosclerotic lesion formations are pivotally driven by components of the
innate and adaptive immune axis. Chemokines and their receptors are particularly prominent part of the innate immune arm.
While the role of classical chemokines, i.e., belonging to the CC or CXC families is increasingly well understood, an emerging family
of chemokine like inflammatory mediators termed innate chemokines, CLF chemokines or micro-chemokines, which additionally
structurally and functionally overlaps with the mediator class of alarmins, has been identified, but it yet has to be comprehensively
characterized regarding its molecular mechanism and role in disease. For example, innate chemokines modulate inflammatory
reactions in the atherogenic arterial wall and numerous other inflamed tissues, but the precise receptor signaling mechanisms are
still only poorly understood. What is known is that many innate chemokines share functional homology with classical chemokines
and signal through classical chemokine receptors, whereas they do not exhibit conserved structural features such as N-terminal
tandem cysteine residues or the chemokine fold. Thus, important receptor bindingmotifs yet have to be characterized. This lecture
will give an overview of the mechanisms underlying molecular hijacking of classical chemokine receptors by innate chemokines,
featuring their pathophysiological role. Examples will encompass high mobility group binding protein-1 (HMGB1), macrophage
migration inhibitory factor (MIF), MIF-2/D-D (D dopachrome tautumerase) T and certain β-defensins. Receptor usage, binding
domains, signalling, innate immune cell regulation and involvement in various inflammatory conditions, including atherosclerosis
will be discussed. The lecture will outline strategies to target such mediators in disease either in conjunction or explicit exclusion
of the co-targeting of classical chemokines. Finally, a cross kingdom analysis will be shared offering more general understanding
of some of these mediators.
juergen.bernhagen@med.uni-muenchen.deMIF proteins as prototypical innate chemokines in
inflammatory and cardiovascular disease
Jurgen Bernhagen
1, 2
1
Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, Germany
2
University of London, UK
J Clin Immunol Allergy 2019, Volume:5
DOI: 10.21767/2471-304X-C1-009