Shedding light on DARC: the role of the Duffy antigen/receptor for chemokines in inflammation, infection and malignancy

Duffy antigen (Fy) was first identified in 1950 as a cause of transfusion reactions [1], and 25 years later recognized as receptor allowing the entry of Plasmodium vivax into erythrocytes [2]. It was not until the mid 1990s that a physiological role for this antigen was proposed, when Duffy was found to be a chemokine receptor [3] and was subsequently renamed Duffy antigen receptor for chemokines (DARC). Since then roles for DARC in inflammation, infection and malignancy have begun to emerge. Most individuals from Sub-Saharan Africa, or of African descent, have a mutation that prevent DARC expression on erythrocytes, but not other sites of DARC expression, such as endothelial cells. Interest in the clinical and scientific implications of DARC has risen as it has become a potential explanation for some of the differences in prognosis and presentation seen in those with African genealogy in diseases of inflammation and malignancy. This paper reviews the evidence for DARC influencing inflammation, and its role in diseases of inflammation, infection and malignancy. DARC as a regulator of inflammation