Cytokine-induced neutrophil chemotaxis assay

Abstract

Chemotaxis is directed migration of a cell type to a distant chemoattractant. When this chemoattractant is a cytokine, the term chemokine is often used. Chemotaxis by neutrophils, specifically polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs), plays a critical role in the innate immune response. On an equimolar basis, interleukin- 8 (IL-8) is one of the most potent PMN chemokines known. This chapter describes an in vitro chemotaxis technique using PMNs and IL-8 which can serve the investigator as an established model from which new studies can be developed.