The monoclonal antibody ECE.2 recognizes mouse monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1).The murine JE gene encodes the monocyte-specific cytokine monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1). MCP-1 is a CC chemokine of 76 amino acids (~11 kDa) and is chemotactic for monocytes andbasophils but not neutrophils and eosinophils. MCP-1 is expressed by smooth muscle cells (SMC),macrophages, endothelial cells, keratinocytes and fibroblasts in response to inflammatory stimuli suchas interleukin 1β and tumor necrosis factor α. MCP-1 has been implicated in a variety of inflammatoryprocesses, including inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, nephritis, and parasiticand viral infections. MCP-1 antigen is not detected in the endothelium or SMC of normal arteries.MCP-1 has also been shown to exhibit biological activities other than chemotaxis. It can induce theproliferation and activation of killer cells known as CHAK (CC-Chemokine-activated killer)MCP-1 signals via the CCR2 receptor, and is critical for aneurysm formation because of its stability torecruit leukocytes. These leukocytes produce extracellular matrix-degrading MMPs, thereby inductinaortic remodelling and dilatation. Interleukin-6 is also involved in this amplification loop acceleratingvascular inflammation. MCP-/- mice display significantly delayed wound re-epithelialization, and alsodelayed wound angiogenesis.