Chemoattractants and receptors in Alzheimer's disease.

Chemoattractants, including classical chemoattractants and chemokines, are mediators of leukocyte trafficking in physiological immunosurveillance as well as recruitment of leukocyte to the sites of inflammation and injury. Besides their well-established role in the immune system, recent researches have demonstrated that chemoattractants and their receptors are also involved in brain development and in the maintenance of normal brain homeostasis. Evidence is emerging that chemoattractants and their receptors play important roles in neuroinflammation, neuronal death and hence neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we summarize recent progress regarding the involvement of chemoattractants and their receptors in Alzheimer's disease and their potential as therapeutic targets.