Chemokines guiding cell migration in health and disease

Precise cell positioning in space and time is fundamental for organ development, immunity and inflammatory responses. Chemotactic cytokines, or chemokines, form a family of nearly 50 structurally related secreted proteins that are locally produced and coordinate directed cell migration by engaging cognate G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Over the past three decades, the chemokine system has emerged as a master regulator of leukocyte trafficking in health and disease. Notable examples include chemokines driving immune cell trafficking from and into immune organs, coordinating antiviral immunity and inflammatory responses. In addition, the chemokine system also plays a pivotal role in cancer development, growth, and metastatic spread. Despite this progress, the full complexity of how chemokines, their receptors, and the extracellular matrix cooperate to encode, transmit, and integrate guidance information remains incompletely understood.This Research Topic is produced in collaboration with the Chemotactic Cytokines Gordon Research Conference, hosted in Les Diablerets, Switzerland from June 7 to 12, 2026. It brings together cutting-edge work across the breadth of the chemokine field, spanning structural and biophysical studies of receptor activation, real-time imaging of cell navigation in tissues, and translational efforts targeting the chemokine axis in cancer, autoimmunity, and infectious disease. A particular focus is placed on emerging areas: the role of atypical chemokine receptors (ACKRs) in shaping gradient landscapes; non-canonical signaling modalities including βarrestin-biased and intracellular receptor pharmacology; mechanosensory integration with chemotactic cues; and the therapeutic exploitation of the chemokine system in immuno-oncology. Emerging technologies including spatial transcriptomics, multiplex imaging, and systems-level tissue mapping are also reshaping our understanding of chemokine-guided cell organization within complex tissue ecosystems.We welcome submissions of Original Research, Reviews, and Perspectives that address fundamental and applied questions across all areas of chemokine biology, and we encourage submissions that integrate multiple levels of analysis, from molecular and cellular through to tissue and organism, to build a comprehensive picture of how the chemokine system orchestrates cell migration in health and disease. Topic editors: Daniel F Legler, Marcus Thelen, ANNALISA DEL PRETE, Julia Christine Gutjahr Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/81962/chemokines-guiding-cell-migration-in-health-and-disease