Inflammatory disease: where immunology and adhesion meet?
Our understanding of the basic mechanisms regulating the entry of leukocytes into inflamed tissues has increased dramatically over the past few years. It is anticipated that increased understanding of this process will promote the design and discovery of agents capable of selectively modulating the recruitment of leukocyte subsets to foci of inflammation. Work is currently underway to develop a novel class of drugs influencing leukocyte adhesive interactions that have therapeutic potential in a wide variety of human chronic inflammatory diseases.