The Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein Family

Several independent lines of work led to the identification of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) and related molecules. All members of the C-C chemokine family which have been adequately tested in this respect share the capacity to induce leukocyte migration with distinct, but overlapping, spectrum of action. One of the pathways that lead to the identification of MCP-1 stems from analysis of mechanisms of recruitment of macrophages in tumors. MCP-1, -2 and -3 are C-C chemokines with overlapping spectrum of action which includes monocytes, T cells, NK cells and basophils as common targets. Activity on dendritic cells is at present restricted to MCP-3. Expression of MCP-1 was detected in a variety of animal models of inflammatory and immune reactions, including cardiac allografts allergic encephalomyelitis, bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary granuloma and immune complex alveolitis and renal ischemia and bacteremia. Most available information on the in vivo production and role of C-C chemokines refers to MCP-1.