Monocyte chemotractant protein-1 (MCP-1), also known as CCL2, is a key chemokine involved in the migration of monocytes and macrophages to sites of active inflammation. It is a member of the C-C/beta family of cytokines, characterized by the Cys-Cys sequence at its N-terminus (1). MCP-1 is tethered to endothelial cells via glycosaminoglycans within the plasma membrane (2). MCP-1 cleavage by MMP-12 is necessary for MCP-1 to interact with its receptor CCR2. MCP-1 activation recruits monocytes to vascular endothelium during active inflammation and also for regular immune surveillance. MCP-1 has been implicated to play a role in disorders such as psoriasis, atherosclerosis, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis- all of which display a predominately monocytic infiltrate (3).
Gilbert et. al. used the MCP-1 antibody (5D3-F7) to assess the expression of MCP-1 in testicular germ-cell tumors (TGCT) (4). Microarray data showed MCP-1 overexpression in many TGCT samples. The group used the MCP-1 antibody to assess expression of MCP-1 in 67 stage I TGCT patient samples and correlated this with vascular invasion data. The MCP-1 antibody showed enriched expression of MCP-1 in samples with higher grades of vascular invasion, suggesting a role for MCP-1 in neoangiogenesis.
Chen et. al. sought to understand a mechanism for the tumorigenesis and metastasis promoted by the T-box transcription factor Brachyury (BRA) (5). Microarray data suggested that BRA downregulates the expression of several chemokines, which led the group to further investigate MCP-1. The group used the MCP-1 antibody (2D8) to confirm MCP-1 knockdowns in lung cancer cell lines and found that MCP-1 knockdown impaired macrophage invasion. They also used the MCP-1 antibody to assess MCP-1 expression levels in human lung tumor samples. The group found that BRA expression inversely correlated with MCP-1 expression, suggesting a role for BRA in downregulating MCP-1 and impairing macrophage invasion during lung cancer tumorigenesis.
Novus Biologicals offers MCP-1 reagents for your research needs including:
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