Description
CCL2, also known as Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 (MCP-1) is a small cytokine (~13kDa) that belongs to the CC chemokine family. CCL2 recruits monocytes, memory T cells, and dendritic cells to sites of inflammation produced by either tissue injury or infection. It is anchored in the plasma membrane of endothelial cells by glycosaminoglycan side chains of proteoglycans. To become activated, CCL2 protein has to be cleaved by metalloproteinase MMP-12. CCL2 is implicated in the pathogenesis of several diseases characterized by monocytic infiltrates, such as psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis and atherosclerosis. CCR2 and CCR4 are two cell surface receptors that bind CCL2