C-C motif chemokine ligand 2
C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2), widely known as Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 (MCP-1), is a small secreted cytokine belonging to the CC chemokine family.
C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2), widely known as Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 (MCP-1), is a small secreted cytokine belonging to the CC chemokine family. It is encoded by the CCL2 gene and functions primarily as a potent chemoattractant that recruits monocytes, memory T cells, and dendritic cells to sites of tissue injury, infection, and inflammation. CCL2 exerts its effects predominantly through binding to its cognate receptor CCR2, triggering downstream signaling cascades that promote immune cell trafficking across vascular endothelium into inflamed tissues. As a central mediator of the innate and adaptive immune response, CCL2 is constitutively expressed at low levels in a wide range of cell types — including endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, fibroblasts, astrocytes, and adipose-derived stem cells — and is rapidly upregulated in response to proinflammatory stimuli such as TNF (Tnf-α), interleukin-1 beta, Interleukin-6 (IL-6), and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activation.
Beyond its canonical role in monocyte recruitment, CCL2 has emerged as a pleiotropic signaling molecule with relevance across a broad spectrum of pathological conditions, including sepsis, chronic kidney disease, lupus nephritis, obesity-associated inflammation, periodontitis, spinal cord injury, diabetic wound healing, and cancer. Its intersection with oxidative stress pathways, matrix metalloproteinase activity (notably Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9)), and growth factors such as TGF-β1 positions it as a critical node in the inflammatory-fibrotic axis. Dysregulated CCL2 expression is increasingly recognized as both a biomarker of disease severity and a tractable therapeutic target, making it a subject of intense contemporary biomedical research.
Where the papers sit
12 papers from the last 6 months study C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 directly · updated from PubMed 10 Oct 2026
Study type 1 clinical trial · 1 observational · 2 human data · 4 preclinical · 4 unclassified
Themes 3 themes · 1 new direction
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Chemokine Immune Modulation
Chemokine signaling is being explored across cancer immunotherapy, infection, autoimmune disease, and treatment-related inflammation. CCL2–CCR2 recruitment remains a recurring target, with molecular decoys, cytotoxic fusion proteins, oncolytic viruses, and other immune-directed strategies. The papers emphasize reshaping the tumor microenvironment or immune-cell trafficking rather than a single disease pathway. Because the applications and endpoints are disparate, no unified therapeutic direction is established.
6 papers · 50%
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Macrophage Polarization in Disease
CCL2-linked macrophage polarization is emerging as a shared mechanism across cancer, diabetic wound repair, liver disease, and immune-metabolic disorders. Multi-omics studies connect GINS1, TIMP1, gut microbial metabolites, and the CCL2–ACKR1 axis to prognostic or immunosuppressive macrophage states. The work is moving from bulk associations toward single-cell and integrative analyses that resolve cellular sources and signaling networks. Whether CCL2 drives harmful inflammation or tissue repair remains context dependent.
4 papers · 33.3%
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Renal Injury and Monocyte Infiltration
Early renal injury is being linked to endothelial stress and CCL2-dependent monocyte recruitment. ANGPT2, Sdc1, Lipocalin 2, filtration measures, and urea are used to identify kidney damage and progression before overt failure. Anti-CCL2-conjugated platelets offer a complementary strategy by limiting monocyte infiltration in allograft and ischemia-reperfusion injury. The field is moving toward combining early biomarker detection with targeted control of inflammatory cell entry.
2 papers · 16.7%
CCL2 functions as a reparative signal in diabetic wound healing
The diabetic wound model study of CCL2-positive adipose-derived stem cells found that this subpopulation and its CCL2-enriched exosomes accelerated wound closure, angiogenesis, collagen deposition, and M2-macrophage polarization through the CCL2–ACKR1 axis. This contrasts with the set’s other uses of CCL2 as a marker of inflammation, monocyte recruitment, tumor aggressiveness, or renal injury, and assigns it a tissue-repair and therapeutic-support role rather than a primarily pathogenic one 42033160Apr.
Papers
The 12 papers from the last 6 months that study C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 directly, newest first, by theme and by study type. Study types come from PubMed publication types and MeSH headings.
By theme
Chemokine Immune Modulation (6)
- The oncolytic viral immunotherapy ASP1012 optimizes memory T cell responses after systemic delivery. Molecular therapy : the journal of the American Society of Gene Therapy · 9 Jul 2026 PMID 42421317
- Integration of bulk RNA-seq and scRNA-seq reveals cell subsets and gene signatures associated with Glaesserella parasuis infection. BMC genomics · 7 Jul 2026 PMID 42410501
- Hijacking radiotherapy-induced chemokines with self-assembled molecular decoys for glioblastoma radio-immunotherapy. Journal of controlled release : official journal of the Controlled Release Society · 2 Jul 2026 PMID 42392408
- Effective treatment of human breast tumors by chimeric CCL2 and CCL8 diphtheria toxin cytotoxic peptides. Cancer biology & therapy · 2 Jul 2026 PMID 42390481
- The Effect of Strength Training During Chemotherapy in Women With Breast Cancer on Serum Cytokine Concentrations and Skeletal Muscle Autophagy-Related Proteins. European journal of sport science · 25 Jun 2026 PMID 42350900
- Nanoinformatics-guided design and molecular dynamic evaluation of folic acid-functionalized fullerene therapies for lupus nephritis in women. Journal of molecular modeling · 12 May 2026 PMID 42118345
Macrophage Polarization in Disease (4)
- Integrative bioinformatics analysis identifies gut microbiota-derived metabolite-associated immune candidate targets in high-risk primary biliary cholangitis. PloS one · 13 Aug 2026 PMID 42594087
- Exploratory multi-omics links CCL2/TIMP1 axis to immunosuppressive TME in glioblastoma. Cell cycle (Georgetown, Tex.) · 15 Jul 2026 PMID 42454783
- Multi-omics analysis identifies GINS1 as a prognostic biomarker in lung adenocarcinoma, linked to macrophage polarization and tumor cell survival. Discover oncology · 15 Jun 2026 PMID 42295485
- Single-Cell Sequencing Reveals That CCL2+ Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Promote Diabetic Wound Healing Through the CCL2-ACKR1 Signaling Axis. FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology · 25 Apr 2026 PMID 42033160
Renal Injury and Monocyte Infiltration (2)
- Renal and endothelial biomarkers in Chagas disease in the Brazilian Amazon region: Early indicators of kidney injury and disease progression. PloS one · 17 Jul 2026 PMID 42467670
- Anti-CCL2-conjugated platelets attenuate early allograft and ischemia-reperfusion injury by inhibiting monocyte infiltration. Journal of hepatology · 1 Jul 2026 PMID 42385858
By study type
Clinical trials (1)
- The Effect of Strength Training During Chemotherapy in Women With Breast Cancer on Serum Cytokine Concentrations and Skeletal Muscle Autophagy-Related Proteins. European journal of sport science · 25 Jun 2026 PMID 42350900
Observational studies and case reports (1)
- Renal and endothelial biomarkers in Chagas disease in the Brazilian Amazon region: Early indicators of kidney injury and disease progression. PloS one · 17 Jul 2026 PMID 42467670
Human data, design not indexed (2)
- Integrative bioinformatics analysis identifies gut microbiota-derived metabolite-associated immune candidate targets in high-risk primary biliary cholangitis. PloS one · 13 Aug 2026 PMID 42594087
- Nanoinformatics-guided design and molecular dynamic evaluation of folic acid-functionalized fullerene therapies for lupus nephritis in women. Journal of molecular modeling · 12 May 2026 PMID 42118345
Preclinical: animal, cell and lab studies (4)
- The oncolytic viral immunotherapy ASP1012 optimizes memory T cell responses after systemic delivery. Molecular therapy : the journal of the American Society of Gene Therapy · 9 Jul 2026 PMID 42421317
- Hijacking radiotherapy-induced chemokines with self-assembled molecular decoys for glioblastoma radio-immunotherapy. Journal of controlled release : official journal of the Controlled Release Society · 2 Jul 2026 PMID 42392408
- Effective treatment of human breast tumors by chimeric CCL2 and CCL8 diphtheria toxin cytotoxic peptides. Cancer biology & therapy · 2 Jul 2026 PMID 42390481
- Single-Cell Sequencing Reveals That CCL2+ Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Promote Diabetic Wound Healing Through the CCL2-ACKR1 Signaling Axis. FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology · 25 Apr 2026 PMID 42033160
Unclassified: not yet indexed with MeSH (4)
- Exploratory multi-omics links CCL2/TIMP1 axis to immunosuppressive TME in glioblastoma. Cell cycle (Georgetown, Tex.) · 15 Jul 2026 PMID 42454783
- Integration of bulk RNA-seq and scRNA-seq reveals cell subsets and gene signatures associated with Glaesserella parasuis infection. BMC genomics · 7 Jul 2026 PMID 42410501
- Anti-CCL2-conjugated platelets attenuate early allograft and ischemia-reperfusion injury by inhibiting monocyte infiltration. Journal of hepatology · 1 Jul 2026 PMID 42385858
- Multi-omics analysis identifies GINS1 as a prognostic biomarker in lung adenocarcinoma, linked to macrophage polarization and tumor cell survival. Discover oncology · 15 Jun 2026 PMID 42295485
Written from 12 PubMed abstracts, each one listed by PMID above. Published: 2026-06-16. Last written: 2026-08-26 by GPT. Drafted by language models from published abstracts; not medical advice.