Immune cells are involved in basically every human disease, whether in resolving it or causing it, as in various autoimmune diseases. A critical feature for leukocyte function, and thus for the emerging immune response, is their ability to move efficiently and directionally to the right place at a right time. The direction is given by attracting chemokines, but how these are maintained and regulated in tissues to ensure efficient leukocyte migration in changing conditions has remained as a mystery. Some cancers have also shown to use the same chemokines to metastasize, and thus, understanding chemokine directed leukocyte migration is crucial for the development of future therapies for various diseases. Our preliminary work has revealed an unexpected role for leukocytes in the generation of chemokine gradients, and in the present research, we will investigate this further with state-of-art technology and in collaboration with international expects from interdisciplinary fields.

2024

2028