Ya Zhang, Bin Fan, Hang Yang, Gangxian Chen, Zhou Huang, Ying Li, Xiang Ma, Tiying Wang, Weiquan Wang, Lu Cai, Lei Han, Yan Liu, Dongqi Li, Xianwei Chen, Yihao Yang, Zuozhang Yang
C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) is associated with tumorigenesis and cancer progression. C-C motif chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2) is the main receptor of CCL2. The present review aimed to summarize the role of the CCL2/CCR2 signaling axis in tumorigenesis and metastasis. The CCL2/CCR2 signaling axis exerts antitumor activities by activating the immune response and immunosurveillance, recruiting neutrophils to destroy cancer cells, inducing tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes to infiltrate tumor tissue, and interfering with the function of T lymphocytes and dendritic cells. In addition, it promotes tumor progression by enhancing cell proliferation, migration and invasion, inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition, stimulating the production of vascular endothelial growth factor and tumor angiogenesis, recruiting tumor-related cells to the tumor niche and remodeling the tumor microenvironment to render it immunosuppressive. The dual effect of the CCL2/CCR2 signaling axis depends on the specific conditions and stage of tumor metastasis.