VCCL2/vMIP-II, the viral master KEYmokine

Viral CC motif chemokine or viral macrophage inflammatory protein-II is 1 of the 3 chemokines encoded by the human herpesvirus-8 to interfere with the host chemokine receptor network, facilitate the immune escape, and promote its survival. Viral CC motif chemokine 2 binds to a broad spectrum of viral and human chemokine receptors of all 4 classes and, depending on the receptor, acts either as n agonist or an antagonist, inducing or blocking the recruitment of specific immune cell subsets. These atypical binding and signaling properties make this viral chemokine not only a useful tool to investigate the complexity of the chemokine–receptor interaction network or the virus–host interplay but also for the development of receptor inhibitors. Thismini-review summarizes the knowledge currently available on viral CC motif chemokine 2 binding, signaling, and structural mimicry and discusses its role and importance for the virus, the therapeutic potential, and the open questions regarding the biology of this fascinating chemokine.