Chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 9 (CCL9) is a smallcytokine belonging to the CCchemokine family. It is also calledmacrophage inflammatory protein-1 gamma (MIP-1γ),macrophage inflammatory protein-related protein-2 (MRP-2) and CCF18, that has been described in rodents. CCL9 has also been previously designatedCCL10, although this name is no longer in use. It is secreted byfollicle-associatedepithelium (FAE) such as that found aroundPeyer's patches, and attractsdendritic cells that possess the cell surface moleculeCD11b and thechemokine receptorCCR1.[2] CCL9 can activateosteoclasts through its receptor CCR1 (the most abundant chemokine receptor found on osteoclasts) suggesting an important role for CCL9 inbone resorption.[3] CCL9 is constitutively expressed inmacrophages andmyeloid cells.[4][5] Thegene for CCL9 is located onchromosome 11 in mice.[5]
CCL9 is a chemokine involved in the process of signaling an antileukemic response and is a potential form of immunotherapy forchronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). CML is a type of cancer in which the bone marrow produces too many red blood cells. This is caused bychromosomal translocation, a mutation in which the abnormal gene BCR-ABL, is turned into a CML cell. CML starts off as amyeloproliferative for example insickle cell anemia or extremegranulocytosis but if left untreated, it could transform into an acute form of leukemia. In order to treat CML, alpha and beta interferons (INFs) are used to regulate the process of binding the protein ICSBP to the gene BCR-ABL. CCL9 was proved to be a gene induced by ICSBP and IFN alpha and also a requirement in the expression of ICSBP in BCR-ABL transformed cells to generate an anti-leukemic immune protection via experimentation. CCL6 and CCL9 were overexpressed in BaF3 cells and injected with BCR-ABL into syngeneic mice. Although the mice still developed leukemia, it delayed the advancement of the disease by several weeks proving that CCL6 and CCL9 contribute to the creation of an anti-leukemic response within infected cells.[6][unreliable medical source]
