COPD

The ATG5 protein belongs to the ATG autophagy regulator family. This family controls the highly conserved cell's homeostatic response to a wide variety of both self- and foreign-originating cellular stimuli. ATG5 itself is ubiquitously expressed in most cells and most often found co-localized with the cytoplasmic non-muscle actin protein under normal resting conditions. Upon activation of apoptosis, ATG5 expression is then dramatically intensified, with ATG5 directly complexing with its ATG family members to produce autophagosomes.

Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein (MCP1) is a potent monocyte attractant, is a member of the CC chemokine subfamily. MCP1 exerts its effects through binding to G-protein-coupled receptors on the surface of leukocytes targeted for activation and migration. The role of MCP1 and its receptor, chemokine receptor-2 (CCR2), in monocyte recruitment during infection or under other inflammatory conditions is well known. Recent studies indicate that MCP-1 may play an important role in pulmonary inflammation.