The chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 in neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration.

Among all the chemokines known so far, chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) is probably the best characterized. This is mainly due to the therapeutic potential attributed to its regulation. The suppression of CCL2 function may reduce the attraction of immune cells to the sites of inflammation and therefore slow down the progression of inflammation and the tissue damage that may be associated to it. While this has proven to be right in diverse conditions, it has also been described to have deleterious consequences such as a dual effect that is also frequently observed in other endogenous defense systems. This review discusses current knowledge about CCL2 involvement in different neurodegenerative diseases as well as its anti-inflammatory and neuro-protective actions.