Applications of Chemokines with Viruses and Cancer
According to the Foresight Institute, a non-profit organization which educates society about nanotechnology, a molecular machine is, “A mechanical device that performs a useful function using components of nanometer scale and defined structure.” Many of these machines are absolutely crucial for proper bodily function. Numerous little intricacies and movements inside cells are largely due to different variations of molecular machines. The definition of molecular machines includes the naturally as well as man made varieties. Mankind has recently started attempting to harness the power of molecular machines, whose power and versatility should not be left untapped. If molecular machines are manipulated correctly they should be able to hinder if not cure general viruses, HIV/AIDS, and cancer. One specific example of a molecular machine that could be capable of advancements like this is a chemokine.
Chemokines are small proteins excreted by cells. The most important jobs of chemokines concern the migration of cells. This is controlled by leading cells through a path of chemokines, while increasing in chemokine concentration until the source of the chemokine is found. The two large groupings of chemokines are homeostatic and pro-inflammatory. The homeostatic are responsible for controlling the movement of cells during tissue maintenance or development. The pro-inflammatory can promote cells of the immune system to a site of infection during an immune response. These inflammatory chemokines are released by many different types of cells and then guide cells to both the innate and adaptive immune system.
Chemokines are very important regulators of the immune system responses against invading organisms which includes viruses. They play a critical role by mobilizing leukocytes to places of infection, injury and inflammation. Lusso explains Chemokines simply by saying, “They act not only as immune system “traffic officers,” controlling leukocyte migration under both physiological and pathological conditions, but also as fine orchestrators that modulate the induction, amplification, and cytokine-secretion pattern of antiviral responses.” The problem is that over time these viruses have adapted. They have used their hosts to gain information on how to manipulate chemokines and chemokine receptors. They use this information as a way to get past the immune system and harm the body. 
Immunodeficiency retroviruses directly use chemokine receptors as an entryway into their target cells. This makes it extremely important to secrete chemokines endogenously, in order to defend against viruses from the inside. This is possibly inducible by vaccinations which would make great strides in defending against viruses.
Ways to fix the problem of viruses using chemokine and chemokine receptors in order to gain entry to the cells they are targeting HAVE to be looked into. Whether it be further research on secreting chemokines endogenously, or more research on altering
chemokines so they are able to detect viruses, it is important that viruses are stopped from surpassing the immune system and entering cells.
A T-Cell B-Cell synapse recruiting Chemokine Receptor CCR5
Katie Riz
One large study that this would greatly contribute to is how to stop HIV/AIDS. HIV is quite obviously a virus and to stop a virus from sneaking through the immune system would be stopping HIV from sneaking through the immune system. The increase in popularity of research in this field is mentioned by
In many types of cancers there is an extensive chemokine network. It is very likely that these networks influence the growth and behavior of angiogenesis, the leukocytes, tumor cell growth, and migration. The presence of leukocytes in both tumor and stromal cells can be attributed to chemokines. Although there is an abundance of chemokine in epithelial tumors, there has been no discovery of chemokine receptors on the infiltrating leucocytes. However, in certain forms of ovarian cancer there have been an abundance of chemokine receptors found on leukocytes.
In certain types of tumors, chemokine doing its job may be directly contributing to the problem. As the foreman of the job chemokine controls the movement of cells and calls cells to “worksites.” It’s possible that certain cells the chemokine attracts not only do not help, but may even contribute to the immunosuppressive environment. Another example of how chemokine doing its job may be promoting the opposite affect than originally intended is with its abilty to promote cell growth. Excessive chemokine receptors have been found in melanoma cells which may mean that chemokine is actually contributing to the tumor’s growth and survival. Chemokine receptors such as CCR7 have been found on many different cancerous cells, which lead scientists to believe that chemokine could be a definite aid to tumors.
Although there is certainly a recipe for disaster with the combination of chemokine and cancer, there is also a bright light for success. This could prove to be a difficult task, yet, in order to fight cancerous cells and tumors, chemokine’s control over cells would need to be harnessed. If the chemokine did not attract the leukocytes to inhibit the cancerous cells it could prevent angiogenesis, survival and spread of tumor cells. Another method to halt the development of cancerous cells would be to decrease the amount of chemokine or chemokine receptors. In order for chemokine to fully function it needs its receptor and it would have nothing to affect if there were no leucocytes. The three need to be present in order to have an affect so the depletion of one would be sufficient to inhibit growth of cancerous cells. Coincidentally, another approach that has been tested that would not involve directly affecting the work the chemokine does, is by overflowing the cancerous cell with chemokine. Over expression of certain chemokine types can suppress tumor growth, by attraction dendritic cells which activate tumor specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes.
There is much more research that needs to be done concerning viruses including HIV/AIDS and cancer. There is a lot more risks to take and time to be spent but with this comes many rewards and could potentially save many lives. Two of the biggest medical foes are at stake to be controlled. With some work and research the use of molecular machines could make some serious advancements in medicine.
http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/v4/n5/abs/nm0598-563.html
http://www.nature.com/ni/journal/v6/n5/fig_tab/ni0505-427_F1.html
http://www.iscid.org/encyclopedia/Molecular_Machines
http://www.mesoscale.com/CatalogSystemWeb/WebRoot/literature/applications/
cytokines.aspx
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