Purinergic signaling: a novel mechanism in immune surveillance.

Purinergic receptors and the associated signaling cascades are known to play critical roles in cardiovascular, nervous, respiratory, gastrointestinal and urinogenital systems. Recent studies have also shed light on the importance of nucleotides and purinergic receptors in the regulation of the immune response. With a better understanding of the distribution and the receptor subtypes, the purinoceptors have the potential to become important therapeutic targets in inflammation, chemotaxis and immune-related diseases.