CXCL10 (C-X-C Motif Chemokine Ligand 10) <table class="infobox infobox-gene">Symbol </td>NCBI Gene ID </td>Chromosome </td>Protein Class </td>Molecular Weight </td>
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CXCL10 (C-X-C Motif Chemokine Ligand 10) <table class="infobox infobox-gene">Symbol </td>NCBI Gene ID </td>Chromosome </td>Protein Class </td>Molecular Weight </td>
Pathway Diagram
Mermaid diagram (expand to render)
Overview CXCL10 (C-X-C Motif Chemokine Ligand 10), also known as Interferon Gamma-Induced Protein 10 (IP-10) or small-inducible cytokine A10, is a chemokine that plays crucial roles in immune cell recruitment, inflammation, and antiviral responses. CXCL10 signals through CXCR3, a receptor expressed on T cells, NK cells, and other immune cells. In the central nervous system, CXCL10 is a key mediator of neuroinflammation and has been strongly implicated in the pathogenesis of various neurodegenerative diseases[@liu2011][@dubois1999].
Gene Overview
Function CXCL10 has essential functions in immune surveillance and inflammation:
Immune System
T cell recruitment : Potent chemoattractant for activated T cells, particularly Th1 cells[@groom2011]NK cell activation : Attracts and activates natural killer cellsAntiviral response : Induced by interferon signaling during viral infectionsAngiostasis : Inhibits new blood vessel formation (angiogenesis)Nervous System
Neuroinflammation : Central mediator of interferon-induced CNS inflammation[@ransohoff2003]Microglial activation : Induces pro-inflammatory responses in [microglia](/cell-types/microglia-neuroinflammation)Neuronal expression : Can be expressed by [neurons](/entities/neurons), especially under inflammatory conditionsReceptor CXCL10 signals through CXCR3:
CXCR3 (CXCR3-A): Primary signaling receptor on T cells and NK cellsCXCR3-B : Alternative splice variant with broader expressionOther : Can also bind to CXCR3-B on some non-immune cellsSignaling Pathways CXCL10/CXCR3 activates multiple intracellular cascades:
Gαi signaling : Inhibition of adenylate cyclasePLC-IP3 pathway : Calcium mobilizationPI3K/Akt pathway : Cell survival and migrationMAPK/ERK pathway : Cell activation and proliferation
Disease Associations
Neurodegenerative Diseases
Multiple Sclerosis : CXCL10 is a key chemokine in MS lesions; correlates with disease activity; therapeutic target[@sorensen2001]Alzheimer's Disease : Elevated in AD brain and CSF; may recruit inflammatory cells to sites of pathologyParkinson's Disease : Increased CXCL10 in substantia nigra and CSF of PD patients; implicated in dopaminergic neuron loss[@baranzini2010]ALS : Elevated in ALS patients and models; contributes to inflammatory environmentOther Conditions
Viral infections (influenza, COVID-19, hepatitis)
Inflammatory bowel disease
Rheumatoid arthritis
Type 1 diabetes
Certain cancers ( melanoma, renal cell carcinoma)
Expression CXCL10 is an inducible chemokine:
Therapeutic Targeting The CXCL10/CXCR3 axis is being explored for therapy:
CXCR3 antagonists : In development for autoimmune diseasesAnti-CXCL10 antibodies : Researched for inflammatory conditionsSmall molecule inhibitors : CXCR3 antagonists in clinical trialsCross-References
[Alzheimer's Disease](/diseases/alzheimers-disease)
[Parkinson's Disease](/diseases/parkinsons-disease)
[Multiple Sclerosis](/diseases/multiple-sclerosis)
[Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis](/diseases/amyotrophic-lateral-sclerosis)
[Neuroinflammation](/mechanisms/neuroinflammation)
[Chemokine Signaling](/mechanisms/chemokine-signaling)
[Interferon Signaling](/mechanisms/interferon-signaling)
See Also
[Alzheimer's Disease](/diseases/alzheimers-disease)
[Parkinson's Disease](/diseases/parkinsons-disease)
[Multiple Sclerosis](/diseases/multiple-sclerosis)
[Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis](/diseases/amyotrophic-lateral-sclerosis)
[Neuroinflammation](/mechanisms/neuroinflammation)
[Chemokine Signaling](/mechanisms/chemokine-signaling)
[Interferon Signaling](/mechanisms/interferon-signaling)
External Links
[NCBI Gene: 3627](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/3627)
Brain Atlas Resources
Allen Brain Atlas
[Allen Human Brain Atlas](https://human.brain-map.org/microarray/search/show?search_term=CXCL10) - Gene expression data
[Allen Mouse Brain Atlas](https://mouse.brain-map.org/) - Mouse brain gene expression
[BrainSpan Atlas](https://www.brainspan.org/) - Developmental transcriptome data
[Allen Cell Type Atlas](https://celltypes.brain-map.org/) - Cell type-specific expression
[Allen Institute Data Portal](https://portal.brain-map.org/) - Neuroscience data resources
References
[Liu et al., CXCL10 in neuroinflammation (2011) (2011)](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneuroim.2011.08.014)
[Dubois et al., CXCL10 in CNS disease (1999) (1999)](https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)
[Unknown, Groom & Luster, CXCR3 ligands in immunity (2011) (2011)](https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-065X.2011.01052.x)
[Ransohoff et al., Chemokines in neuroinflammation (2003) (2003)](https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn1177)
[Sorensen et al., CXCL10 in multiple sclerosis (2001) (2001)](https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awf087)
[Baranzini et al., CXCL10 in Parkinson's disease (2010) (2010)](https://doi.org/10.1002/mds.22680)
Pathway Diagram The following diagram shows the key molecular relationships involving CXCL10 - C-X-C Motif Chemokine Ligand 10 discovered through SciDEX knowledge graph analysis:
Mermaid diagram (expand to render)
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