Spectroscopic characterization of chemokines: relevance for quality control and standardization.

Chemokines are mediators of inflammation and trafficking of cells of the immune system including a pivotal role in the recruitment and activation of leukocytes. Due to their involvement in a variety of disease processes, chemokines are potential therapeutic targets. The use of chemokines as pharmaceuticals will require that the folded state and the association properties of the protein are well characterized. In this report, we describe the utility of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy as a tool to study these aspects of chemokine structural properties.