Leukocyte Recruitment, Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecules, and Transcriptional Control

The localized attachment of circulating leukocytes to endothelium has been recognized as the cellular hallmark of the inflammatory response. This adhesive interaction, a necessary antecedent to the emigration of leukocytes from the blood into the tissues, is mediated by vascular adhesion molecules. This volume outlines some of the cellular and molecular mechanisms of inflammation with contributions from researchers. It provides an overview of three of these endothelial adhesion molecules, as examples of key mediators of leukocyte recruitment. It reviews the structure and regulation of these cell surface proteins and focus on the rapidly expanding field of transcriptional regulation of these inducible proteins, and closes with a discussion of drug discovery possibilities that target the regulation of leukocyte recruitment. This should will be of interest for any researchers, in academia or industry, looking for an overview of leukocyte recruitment or novel approaches to drug discovery.