CCL2 and cancer: CCL2 encodes C-C Motif Chemokine Ligand 2, also known as MCP-1, which is a crucial signaling protein (cytokine) that acts as a “chemical beacon,” powerfully attracting immune cells like monocytes and macrophages to sites of inflammation, infection, or injury, playing vital roles in immunity, tissue repair, and disease (like cancer, fibrosis, and neurological disorders) by controlling immune cell traffic and influencing cellular processes [83].