Chen Keqiang, Huang Jian, Gong Wanghua, Zhang Lingzhi, Yu Peichu, Wang Ji Ming
School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 201101, China.
Cell Mol Immunol. 2006 Jun;3(3):163-9.
CD40 and its cognate ligand (CD40L) are a pair of regulators of pro-inflammatory and immune responses. In the central nervous system (CNS), CD40 is expressed on a variety of cells, including vascular endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, astrocytes and microglia (the brain macrophages, being the most sensitive cell type to respond to CD40 ligand). Interaction between CD40 on microglia and CD40L presented by infiltrating T lymphocytes and other resident CNS cells triggers a series of intracellular signaling events that promote the production of a wide array of cytokines, chemokines and neurotoxins. Thus, both molecules serve as amplifiers of pro-inflammatory and immune responses in the CNS and constitute important molecular targets for therapeutic intervention of diseases.
CD40及其同源配体（CD40L）是一对促炎和免疫反应的调节因子。在中枢神经系统（CNS）中，CD40在多种细胞上表达，包括血管内皮细胞、平滑肌细胞、星形胶质细胞和小胶质细胞（脑巨噬细胞，是对CD40配体反应最敏感的细胞类型）。小胶质细胞上的CD40与浸润的T淋巴细胞和其他中枢神经系统常驻细胞呈递的CD40L之间的相互作用触发了一系列细胞内信号事件，这些事件促进了多种细胞因子、趋化因子和神经毒素的产生。因此，这两种分子都是中枢神经系统促炎和免疫反应的放大器，并且构成了疾病治疗干预的重要分子靶点。
