The chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2), also known as monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP1), is a small cytokine that belongs to the CC chemokine family. CCL2 is anchored in the plasma membrane of endothelial cells by glycosaminoglycan side chains of proteoglycans and is primarily secreted by monocytes, macrophages and dendritic cells. CCL2 recruits monocytes, memory T cells, and dendritic cells to the sites of inflammation produced by either tissue injury or infection.
CCL2 is implicated in pathogeneses of several diseases characterized by monocytic infiltrates, such as psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis and atherosclerosis. CCL2 is involved in the neuroinflammatory processes that take place in the various diseases of the central nervous system, which are characterized by neuronal degeneration.