Selectins: critical mediators of leukocyte recruitment

Selectins are multi-functional adhesion molecules that mediate the initial interactions between circulating leukocytes and the endothelium. First identified over a decade ago, selectins have provided insight into areas as diverse as normal lymphocyte homing, leukocyte recruitment during inflammatory responses, carbohydrate ligand biosynthesis and adhesion-mediated signalling. This review will examine the selectins and their ligands with a focus on recent findings using knockout technology as well as the emerging role of selectins as signalling molecules.