chemokine /kē′mōkīn/ [Gk, chemeia, alchemy + kinēsis, movement] , any of a group of low-molecular-weight chemoattractant proteins, identified on the basis of their ability to induce chemotaxis or chemokinesis in leukocytes (or in particular populations of leukocytes) during both homeostasis and inflammation. The group is divided into four subgroups on the basis of genetic, structural, and functional criteria. They function as regulators of the immune system and may also play roles in the circulatory and central nervous systems. See also cytokine.
