Potential role of chemokines in fracture repair

Chemokines are a family of small cytokines that share a typical key structure that is stabilized by disulfide bonds between the cysteine residues at the NH₂-terminal of the protein, and they are secreted by a great variety of cells in several different conditions. Their function is directly dependent on their interactions with their receptors. Chemokines are involved in cell maturation and differentiation, infection, autoimmunity, cancer, and, in general, in any situation where immune components are involved. However, their role in postfracture inflammation and fracture healing is not yet well established. In this article, we will discuss the response of chemokines to bone fracture and their potential roles in postfracture inflammation and healing based on data from our studies and from other previously published studies.