Abstract

Chemokines are not only found in the immune system or expressed in inflammatory conditions: they are constitutively present in the brain in both glial cells and neurons. Recently, the possibility has been raised that they might act as neurotransmitters or neuromodulators. Although the evidence is incomplete, emerging data show that chemokines have several of the characteristics that define neurotransmitters. Moreover, their physiological actions resemble those of neuromodulators in the sense that chemokines usually have few effects by themselves in basal conditions, but modify the induced release of neurotransmitters or neuropeptides. These findings, together with the pharmacological development of agonists and antagonists that are selective for chemokine receptors and can cross the blood–brain barrier, open a new era of research in neuroscience.

Author affiliations

1. William Rostène, Patrick Kitabgi and Stéphane Mélik Parsadaniantz are all at INSERM-UPMC 732, Hôpital St Antoine, 184 Rue du Fg St Antoine, 75012 Paris, France.

Correspondence to: William Rostène¹ Email: rostene@st-antoine.inserm.fr

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