CXCL2
Description
The CXCL2 (C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 2) is a protein-coding gene located on chromosome 4.
CXCL2, a small cytokine belonging to the CXC chemokine family, is also known as macrophage inflammatory protein 2-alpha (MIP2-alpha), Growth-regulated protein beta (Gro-beta), and Gro oncogene-2 (Gro-2). It shares 90% amino acid sequence identity with another chemokine, CXCL1. CXCL2 is secreted by monocytes and macrophages and attracts polymorphonuclear leukocytes and hematopoietic stem cells. The gene for CXCL2 resides on human chromosome 4 within a cluster of other CXC chemokines. CXCL2 interacts with a cell surface chemokine receptor called CXCR2 to mobilize cells. Like related chemokines, CXCL2 is a potent neutrophil chemoattractant involved in various immune responses, including wound healing, cancer metastasis, and angiogenesis. In 2013, a study explored the role of CXCL2, CXCL3, and CXCL1 in the migration of airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs), a process crucial in asthma. The study demonstrated that CXCL2 and CXCL3 mediate normal and asthmatic ASMC migration through distinct mechanisms. In combination with the CXCR4 inhibitor plerixafor, CXCL2 rapidly mobilizes hematopoietic stem cells into the peripheral blood. This rapid stem cell mobilization regimen entered Phase 2 clinical trials in 2021 as a novel method for stem cell collection for bone marrow transplantation, developed by Magenta Therapeutics.
CXCL2 is also known as CINC-2a, GRO2, GROb, MGSA-b, MIP-2a, MIP2, MIP2A, SCYB2.
