%0 Journal Article
%T The Role of Src Kinase in Macrophage-Mediated Inflammatory Responses
%A Se Eun Byeon
%A Young-Su Yi
%A Jueun Oh
%A Byong Chul Yoo
%A Sungyoul Hong
%A Jae Youl Cho
%J Mediators of Inflammation
%D 2012
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2012/512926
%X Src kinase (Src) is a tyrosine protein kinase that regulates cellular metabolism, survival, and proliferation. Many studies have shown that Src plays multiple roles in macrophage-mediated innate immunity, such as phagocytosis, the production of inflammatory cytokines/mediators, and the induction of cellular migration, which strongly implies that Src plays a pivotal role in the functional activation of macrophages. Macrophages are involved in a variety of immune responses and in inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, diabetes, obesity, cancer, and osteoporosis. Previous studies have suggested roles for Src in macrophage-mediated inflammatory responses; however, recently, new functions for Src have been reported, implying that Src functions in macrophage-mediated inflammatory responses that have not been described. In this paper, we discuss recent studies regarding a number of these newly defined functions of Src in macrophage-mediated inflammatory responses. Moreover, we discuss the feasibility of Src as a target for the development of new pharmaceutical drugs to treat macrophage-mediated inflammatory diseases. We provide insights into recent reports regarding new functions for Src that are related to macrophage-related inflammatory responses and the development of novel Src inhibitors with strong immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory properties, which could be applied to various macrophage-mediated inflammatory diseases. 1. Introduction Inflammation is a complex biological response to various harmful stimuli and is accompanied by various symptoms including redness, swelling, heat, and pain. A major cause of inflammation stems from the infection of local tissue with pathogens, such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi; inflammation is the process that attracts various immune cells to the injured tissues and removes the infecting pathogens. These processes involve closely related chemical mediators, such as nitric oxide (NO), reactive oxygen species (ROS), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), histamine, and cytokines including TNF-¦Á and various interleukins [1]. There are two types of inflammatory responses acute inflammation and chronic inflammation. Acute inflammation is a rapid and temporary host response induced by leukocytes and plasma proteins containing antibodies in the infected or injured tissues. Chronic inflammation is persistent inflammation characterized by tissue injury and attack and has a longer recovery time. The chronic response may increase damage to the tissues and organs, resulting in the onset of diseases, such as
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/mi/2012/512926/