CCL3 is a cytokine belonging to the CC chemokine family. Chemokines are a family of structurally related leukocyte chemoattractant cytokines that play a central role during immunoregulatory and inflammation processes. All chemokines contain four conserved cysteines linked by disulfide bonds, and two major subfamilies, namely CXC and CC, are defined on the basis of the first two cysteines which are separated by one amino acid or are adjacent. CCL3 is involved in the acute inflammatory state in the recruitment and activation of polymorphonuclear leukocytes.
