The chemokine receptor CCR8 is preferentially expressed in Th2 but not Th1 cells.

In this paper we report on the cloning and characterization of mouse CCR8. Like its human homologue, it is predominantly expressed in the thymus. In the periphery, murine CCR8 mRNA was found most abundantly expressed in activated Th2-polarized cells and in NK1.1+ CD4+ T cells. Human CCR8 is also preferentially expressed in human Th2-polarized cells and clones. This pattern of expression suggests that CCR8 is part of a Th2-specific gene expression program. The CCR8 ligands I-309 and its mouse homologue T cell activation gene 3 (TCA-3) are potent chemoattractants for Th2-polarized cells. Taken together, these observations strongly suggest that CCR8 plays a role in the control of Th2 responses, and may represent a potential target for treatment of allergic diseases.