The Biological Functions, Structure and Sources of CXCL10 and Its Outstanding Part in the Pathophysiology of Multiple Sclerosis

The etiology of several autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS), has still not been completely clarified. MS is defined as an autoimmune disease with clinical features of a chronic, inflammatory and dennyelinating autoimmune disorder which affects the central nervous system. The course of the disease includes phases of remission and relapses which can be exacerbated in both severity and duration. Chemokines, which are a subfamily of the cytokines, act as chemoattractants for a wide variety of cells, including immune cells. CXCL10 is a small protein that is defined as an 'inflammatory' chemokine and binds to CXCR3 to mediate immune responses through the activation and recruitment of leukocytes such as T cells, eosinophils, monocytes and NK cells. The aim of this review is to address recent findings regarding the relationship between CXCL10 and MS. (C) 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel