Role of Chemokine Ligand CCL20 and its Receptor CCR6 in lntestinal Inflammation

Chemokines are important players in the immune system with individual chemokine axes demonstrating significant associations with numerous inflammatory disorders. The chemokine receptor CCR6 and its ligand CCL20 are reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease, however the exact mechanism remains elusive. The Ccr6gene has been identified as a susceptibility gene in Crohn’s disease, while the expression of its ligand, CCL20 is up regulated following inflammatory stimulus in the intestine. The identification of the role of CCR6-CCL20 axis during the inflammation will shed valuable light into the pathogenesis of IBD as well as providing a potential therapeutic target for treatment for IBD.