Understanding the role of CXCR7 in inflammation using monoclonal antibodies

One of the major areas of interest in our laboratory is the importance of chemokines and their receptors in the regulation of immune responses and the development of inflammatory disease. CXCR7 is a chemokine receptor that appears to mediate a broad range of functions; recent evidence has implicated CXCR7 in cardiac development, angiogenesis, tumor development and fibrosis. We have developed a panel of monoclonal antibodies that can block the activity of CXCR7 in mice and humans, as well as mice genetically deficient in CXCR7. These developments represent an invaluable set of tools with which to dissect the precise functional role of CXCR7 in a number of disease settings, such as mouse models of fibrosis and cancer. We believe that that those anti-cxcr7 antibodies have a strong therapeutic potential for the treatment of various inflammatory disorders.