MIP-3 alpha/CCL20

CCL20, also known as macrophage inflammatory protein 3 alpha (MIP-3-alpha) and liver-activated regulatory chemokine (LARC), is a small cytokine belonging to the CC chemokine family and is located on chromosome 2 in the human genome. It is expressed at lower levels in the thymus, testis, prostate and intestine. CCL20 binds to and acts as a chemokine receptor CCR6 and synergistically inhibits the function of CD8 T cells with CCR6. CCL20 has antimicrobial activity and has been implicated in autoimmune diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriasis, as well as oncological diseases. It can induce Tregs to invade tumor tissue, recruit dendritic cells to promote immunosuppression, and induce endothelial cell proliferation and neointima formation[1][2].