Identification of the CCL18 Receptor – Effects of CCL18 on Human Lung Fibroblasts in Pulmonary Fibrosis are Mediated via CCR6

CCL18 is a chemokine mainly released by alternatively activated macrophages and is one of the few chemokines without a known receptor. It is reported that CCL18 induces collagen synthesis by fibroblasts, indicating that CCL18 may play an important role in the immunopathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis. We therefore assumed that the putative CCL18 receptor is expressed by human lung fibroblasts and started to identify this receptor and characterize its expression pattern and functional role. To identify the receptor we screened a phage display library; the expression of the receptor was confirmed using conventional…