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Did you know? How CCL18 plays a key role in cancer metastasis?
In cancer research, more and more scientists are beginning to notice the potential impact of the small cytokine CCL18. This small chemical factor belongs to the CC chemokine family, and its role in the immune system is gradually emerging. CCL18 is mainly produced by antigen-presenting cells of the innate immune system (such as dendritic cells, monocytes and macrophages) and mainly affects the adaptive immune system. As research deepens, scientists are beginning to discover the complex connection between CCL18 and cancer metastasis.
"CCL18 is thought to play a dual role in regulating immune responses, both promoting activation of the immune system and inducing immune tolerance in some cases."
Gene and structure of CCL18
The CCL18 gene is located on chromosome 17 and co-exists with a variety of macrophage inflammatory protein genes. This gene has three exons and two introns. What is special is that its introns contain two pseudo exons, which may imply the evolutionary process and unique functions of CCL18. The mature protein of CCL18 consists of 89 amino acids and has a signal sequence, which allows it to be cleaved into the 69-amino acid mature form in the endoplasmic reticulum.
Chemical functions of CCL18
Chemokines are closely related to the transport of immune cells, and CCL18 is particularly significant in inducing the recruitment of adaptive immune cells. This includes attracting naive T cells, regulatory T cells, and various types of B cells. The regulatory process of this factor is not only involved in immune activation but may also maintain the stability of the immune system in healthy states.
CCL18 receptor
The physiological receptor of CCL18 has only been discovered recently, and three receptors have been proposed so far: PITPNM3, GPR30 and CCR8. Among them, PITPNM3 is mainly expressed on breast cancer cells, while the binding of GPR30 does not induce cell migration. The newly discovered CCR8 is believed to have physiological significance in promoting immune responses.
Effect functions of CCL18
CCL18 plays an important role in both activation and suppression of the immune system. Its performance in allergic diseases has received widespread attention due to its ability to promote T-helper type 2 responses. When CCL18 is used as a vaccine accelerator, it helps recruit immune cells and effectively improves vaccine effectiveness.
"Abnormal expression of CCL18 is associated with a variety of diseases, such as breast cancer and autoimmune diseases."
Role in disease
CCL18 has shown its importance in the pathological processes of many diseases. Taking breast cancer as an example, CCL18 promotes tumor metastasis by binding to PITPNM3, which may cause the immune system to fail to effectively eliminate cancer cells. In addition, in allergic diseases such as asthma, studies have shown that the level of CCL18 is significantly elevated in allergic patients, which means that it may play an important role in regulating abnormal immune responses.
With further study of CCL18's multi-person effects, scientists hope to unravel its role in various diseases. However, this discussion also triggered deeper thinking: Can we use this knowledge to develop new treatments to prevent cancer metastasis and mutation?
