CCL2

Toll like receptors (TLRs) are highly conserved proteins that are first known for their role in pathogen recognition and immune response activation.  In order to elicit the necessary immune response in reaction to a foreign pathogen, TLRs trigger cytokine production depending on the behavior patterns of the pathogen itself.  Specifically, TLR4 acts through bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which composes the outer wall of Gram-negative bacteria.  Bacterial LPS is also a potent activator of the immune system.

Monocyte Chemotactic Protein-1 (MCP-1), also known as Chemokine C-C motif Ligand 2 (CCL2), is a small cytokine involved in immune response, inflammation and tissue repair. Specifically, MCP1 is responsible for recruiting monocytes, memory T cells, and dendritic cells to sites of tissue injury or infection. MCP-1 is produced by a wide range of cell types as a reaction to diverse inflammatory stimuli, and has been implicated in many diseases characterized by monocytic infiltrates, such as psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis and atherosclerosis.