CCR3expressing

CCR3-expressing refers to cells that display the chemokine receptor CCR3 on their surfaces. CCR3 is a member of the CC chemokine receptor family and functions as a G protein–coupled receptor that mediates chemotactic signaling in response to its ligands.

Cells commonly described as CCR3-expressing include eosinophils and basophils, which show high surface expression, as well as certain subsets of T cells—particularly Th2-type cells—and some mast cells and dendritic cells. The expression pattern can vary with developmental stage, activation status, and tissue context, and CCR3 can be present on other cell types under inflammatory conditions.

The principal ligands for CCR3 are eotaxins, especially CCL11 (eotaxin-1), CCL24 (eotaxin-2), and CCL26 (eotaxin-3). Binding of these ligands to CCR3 promotes chemotaxis toward sites of inflammation and tissue injury, contributing to the recruitment of eosinophils and other CCR3-expressing cells to allergic and parasitic responses. In addition to guiding cell migration, CCR3 signaling can influence cell activation and degranulation in eosinophils and basophils.

CCR3-expressing cells are implicated in the pathology of allergic diseases such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis, where eosinophil accumulation in tissues contributes to inflammation and tissue remodeling. Because of its role in eosinophil trafficking, CCR3 has been explored as a therapeutic target, with several CCR3 antagonists evaluated in clinical trials, though clinical success has been limited by complexity of chemokine networks and safety considerations.

Detection and study of CCR3 expression typically rely on flow cytometry with anti-CCR3 antibodies or transcript analysis, enabling researchers to identify and quantify CCR3-expressing cell populations in blood and tissues.