Chemokines(chemoattractantcytokines)representasuperfamilyofsmallsecretedproteinsthatfunctionasintercellularmessengerstocontrolmigrationandactivationofleukocytesinvolvedininflammatoryreactionsandimmunity.FurThermore,chemokinesareimportantmediatorsofmanypathologiessuchasallergicresponses,chronicinflammatoryandautoimmunediseases,tumorgrowthandhematopoieticdevelopment.TheCC-chemokinemonocytechemoattractantprotein1(MCP-1),alsoknownasmonocytechemotacticandactivatingfactor(MCAF)wascharacterizedasamonocyte-specificchemoattractantthatwaslatershowntoattractalsoTlymphocytesandNKcells.MCP-1ismainlyexpressedbymacrophagesinresponsetoawiderangeofcytokinessuchasIL-6,TNF-alphaandIL-1beta,butcan,uponstimulation,alsobeproducedbyavarietyofcellsandtissues,suchasfibroblasts,endothelialcellsorcertaintumorcells.Becauseofitstargetcellspecificity,MCP-1waspostulatedtoplayapathogenicroleinavarietyofdiseasescharacterizedbymononuclearcellinfiltration,includingatherosclerosis,rheumatoidarthritisandallergicresponses.ElevatedlevelsofMCP-1havealsobeenfoundinconnectionwithosseusinflammationandAlzheimer"sdisease(AD)aswellasMyocardialIschemiaandviralinfections.Inacuteandchronic-activemultiplesclerosis(MS)lesionsimmunoreactivityforMCP-1wasincreasedwhereasMCP-1wasfoundtobesignificantlyreducedincerebrospinalfluids(CSF)andchroniclesionsofpatientswithMS.Inbasophils,MCP-1ishighlyeffectiveasastimulusofhistaminereleasebuthasonlyweakchemotacticactivity.AdditionallyithasbeenshowntochemoattractCD4+andCD8+Tlymphocytes,andexpressionoftheMCP-1chemokinemayaffectHIVinfectionviasignalingthroughtheCCR2receptor.

Synonyms:CCL2,Monocytechemotacticandactivatingfactor(MCAF),MonocytesecretoryproteinJE,HC11