CCL17
Description
The CCL17 (C-C motif chemokine ligand 17) is a protein-coding gene located on chromosome 16.
CCL17 is a powerful chemokine produced in the thymus and by antigen-presenting cells like dendritic cells, macrophages, and monocytes. CCL17 plays a complex role in cancer. It attracts T-regulatory cells allowing for some cancers to evade an immune response. However, in other cancers, such as melanoma, an increase in CCL17 is linked to an improved outcome. CCL17 has also been linked to autoimmune and allergic diseases.
CCL17 (CC chemokine ligand 17) was initially named TARC (thymus- and activation-regulated chemokine) when first isolated in 1996. It was later renamed CCL17 as the naming conventions for all cytokines were updated to standardize names.
Cytokines, like CCL17, help cells communicate with one another, and stimulate cell movement. Chemokines are a type of cytokine that attract white blood cells to sites of inflammation or disease. CCL17 as well as its partner chemokine CCL22 induce chemotaxis in T-helper cells.
CCL17 is a chemokine that attracts T lymphocytes, particularly Th2 cells, but not monocytes or granulocytes. It plays a significant role in various inflammatory and immune processes. CCL17 binds to CCR4 on the surface of T-cells, mediating GM-CSF/CSF2-driven pain and inflammation. In the brain, CCL17 is essential for maintaining the normal, highly branched morphology of hippocampal microglia in a stable state. It may be important for the appropriate adaptation of microglial morphology and synaptic plasticity in response to acute lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced neuroinflammation. CCL17 also contributes to wound healing by inducing fibroblast migration into the wound.
CCL17 is also known as A-152E5.3, ABCD-2, SCYA17, TARC.
