CXCL10 - C-X-C Motif Chemokine Ligand 10

CXCL10 (C-X-C Motif Chemokine Ligand 10)

<table class="infobox infobox-gene">
<tr>
<th class="infobox-header" colspan="2">CXCL10 - C-X-C Motif Chemokine Ligand 10</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Symbol</td>
<td>CXCL10</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">NCBI Gene ID</td>
<td>[3627](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/3627)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Chromosome</td>
<td>4q21</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Protein Class</td>
<td>CXC Chemokine</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Molecular Weight</td>
<td>~10 kDa</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Cell Type</td>
<td>Expression Level</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">[Astrocytes](/entities/astrocytes)</td>
<td>High</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Microglia</td>
<td>High</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Neurons</td>
<td>Moderate</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Endothelial cells</td>
<td>High</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Fibroblasts</td>
<td>Moderate</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Associated Diseases</td>
<td><a href="/wiki/als" style="color:#ef9a9a">ALS</a>, <a href="/wiki/alzheimer's" style="color:#ef9a9a">ALZHEIMER'S</a>, <a href="/wiki/alzheimer's-disease" style="color:#ef9a9a">ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE</a>, <a href="/wiki/aging" style="color:#ef9a9a">Aging</a>, <a href="/wiki/als" style="color:#ef9a9a">Als</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">KG Connections</td>
<td><a href="/atlas" style="color:#4fc3f7">614 edges</a></td>
</tr>
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CXCL10 (C-X-C Motif Chemokine Ligand 10)

<table class="infobox infobox-gene">
<tr>
<th class="infobox-header" colspan="2">CXCL10 - C-X-C Motif Chemokine Ligand 10</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Symbol</td>
<td>CXCL10</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">NCBI Gene ID</td>
<td>[3627](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/3627)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Chromosome</td>
<td>4q21</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Protein Class</td>
<td>CXC Chemokine</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Molecular Weight</td>
<td>~10 kDa</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Cell Type</td>
<td>Expression Level</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">[Astrocytes](/entities/astrocytes)</td>
<td>High</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Microglia</td>
<td>High</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Neurons</td>
<td>Moderate</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Endothelial cells</td>
<td>High</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Fibroblasts</td>
<td>Moderate</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">Associated Diseases</td>
<td><a href="/wiki/als" style="color:#ef9a9a">ALS</a>, <a href="/wiki/alzheimer's" style="color:#ef9a9a">ALZHEIMER'S</a>, <a href="/wiki/alzheimer's-disease" style="color:#ef9a9a">ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE</a>, <a href="/wiki/aging" style="color:#ef9a9a">Aging</a>, <a href="/wiki/als" style="color:#ef9a9a">Als</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="label">KG Connections</td>
<td><a href="/atlas" style="color:#4fc3f7">614 edges</a></td>
</tr>
</table>

Pathway Diagram

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 cells
• Antiviral response: Induced by interferon signaling during viral infections
• Angiostasis: 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 conditions

Receptor

CXCL10 signals through CXCR3:

• CXCR3 (CXCR3-A): Primary signaling receptor on T cells and NK cells
• CXCR3-B: Alternative splice variant with broader expression
• Other: Can also bind to CXCR3-B on some non-immune cells

Signaling Pathways

CXCL10/CXCR3 activates multiple intracellular cascades:

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 pathology
• Parkinson'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 environment

Other 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 diseases
• Anti-CXCL10 antibodies: Researched for inflammatory conditions
• Small molecule inhibitors: CXCR3 antagonists in clinical trials

Cross-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

Related Resources

• [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

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: