Putting the brakes on leukocyte chemotaxis: an interview with

CXCR4-induced Chemotaxis of T cells ” was selected as a Pivotal Advance because it is the first to propose a molecular mechanism via which a Slit /Robo (Roundabout receptor) com-plex inhibits leukocyte chemotaxis. Specifically, in this manu-script, Dr. Ganju and colleagues demonstrate that the Slit/Robo complex inhibits Akt phosphorylation and Rac activation that result from the interaction of the chemokine SDF-1 (CXCL12) with its seven-transmembrane receptor, CXCR4. The Slit li-gands and Robo receptors, originally identified as modulators of neuronal migration, have more recently been characterized as inhibitors of specific chemokine-mediated inflammatory re-sponses [1]. Dr. Ganju, before we begin to discuss the manuscript, can you tell us a bit about yourself, where you did your medical training, why yo