ABSTRACT

Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) is a member of the C-C chemokine family that mediate leukocyte chemotaxis.  We initially isolated it from human glioma cell line U-105 MG as a specific chemoattractant for monocytes.  We have shown that various human glioma cell lines and glioma specimens expressed MCP-1 at high level.  In addition, the concentration of MCP-1 in cerebro-spinal fluid from glioma patient was well correlated with the malignancy grade and dissemination of the malignant gliomas suggesting the potential usefulness for clinical diagnosis.

Recently, the cDNA of specific receptors for human MCP-1, designated CCR2, was cloned and shown to belong to seven-transmembrane-domain receptor families.  We have demonstrated that tumor associated macrophages attracted by MCP-1 inhibited the growth of transplanted rat tumor in vivo.  If we could stimulate the expression of MCP-1 in glioma and MCP-1 receptor on monocyte, it is possible that the growth of MCP-1 producing tumor will be inhibited effectively by a larger number of infiltrated macrophages.  We are now studying a molecular mechanism that regulate expression of MCP-1 and MCP-1 receptor.