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.
