Relevance of the chemokine CXCL12/CXCR7 axis in cardiovascular disease

Abstract:

Objective：Chemokine receptor CXCL12 is a small protein that mediates cell chemotaxis. Previous studies confirmed that chemokine receptor CXCL12 was a principal regulator of homing，migration and mobilization of haematopoietic stem cells and endothelial pro－genitor cells（EPCs） during steady-state homeostasis and injury. Once previously thought to interact exclusively with CXCR4，CXCL12 also binds to CXCR7（recently renamed ACK3R），which belongs to an atypical chemokine receptor family whose members fail to ac－tivate G proteins but interact with β-arrestins，control the CXCL12 bioavailability，enhance or dampen CXCR4- mediated signaling and activity.Here we discuss the role of CXCR7 in cell proliferation，angiogenesis，and metastasis，with a focus on cardiovascular dis－ease.