Description
The small cytokine CXCL8 (also known as IL-8) is known to be one of the most potent chemoattractant molecules that, among several other functions, is responsible for guiding neutrophils through the tissue matrix until they reach sites of injury. IL-8 is also a potent promoter of angiogenesis. In target cells, IL-8 binds to two cell surface receptors, CXCR1 and CXCR2, and induces a series of physiological responses required for migration and phagocytosis, such as increase of intracellular Ca2+, exocytosis (e.g. histamine release), and respiratory burst. IL-8 is a member of the CXC chemokine family. The genes encoding this and the other ten members of the CXC chemokine family form a cluster in a region mapped to chromosome 4q