C-C chemokine receptor type 2 (CCR2) (CCR2)

C-C chemokine receptor type 2 (CCR2) is a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that serves as the primary receptor for Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 (MCP-1/CCL2) (UniProt, 2024). It is predominantly expressed on monocytes, memory T cells, and dendritic cells, playing a critical role in their recruitment to sites of inflammation and tumor microenvironments (NCBI, 2024). The specific therapeutic context of "AD-TK-MCP1" refers to an adenoviral vector system designed to deliver the MCP-1 gene alongside the Herpes Simplex Virus Thymidine Kinase (HSV-tk) gene (Aguilar et al., 2000). In this approach, the expressed MCP-1 acts as a chemoattractant to bring CCR2-positive immune cells into the tumor, while the TK gene facilitates the conversion of prodrugs like ganciclovir into toxic metabolites to kill cancer cells (PubMed 10824174). This dual strategy aims to convert "cold" tumors into "hot" tumors by enhancing immune infiltration and direct cytotoxicity. While CCR2 is often targeted for inhibition in inflammatory diseases like atherosclerosis, this gene therapy leverages its activation for oncology (StatPearls, 2023).

Other names

CD192CKR2MCP-1 receptorMonocyte chemoattractant protein 1 receptorCC-CKR-2CMKBR2

Agonism of CCR2 via vector-delivered CCL2/MCP-1 to recruit immune cells to the tumor microenvironment, combined with HSV-tk/prodrug-mediated cytotoxicity (Aguilar et al., 2000). In other contexts, small molecule antagonism is used to inhibit monocyte recruitment (UniProt, 2024).