Role of chemokines in regulation of immunity against leishmaniasis

Successful immunity to Leishmania depends on recruitment of appropriate immune effector cells to the site of infection and chemokines play a crucial role in the process. At the same time, Leishmania parasites possess the ability to modify the chemokine profiles of their host thereby facilitating establishment of progressive infection. Therapeutic and prophylactic strategies targeted at chemokines and their receptors provide a promising area for further research. This review highlights our current knowledge concerning the role of chemokines and their receptors in modulating leishmaniasis in both clinical settings and experimental disease models. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.