CCL17/TARC in autoimmunity and inflammation—not just a T‐cell chemokine

Abstract Chemokine (C–C) ligand 17 (CCL17) was first identified as thymus‐ and activation‐regulated chemokine when it was found to be constitutively expressed in the thymus and identified as a T‐cell chemokine. This chemoattractant molecule has subsequently been found at elevated levels in a range of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, as well as in cancer. CCL17 is a C–C chemokine receptor type 4 (CCR4) ligand, with chemokine (C–C) ligand 22 being the other major ligand and, as CCR4 is highly expressed on helper T cells, CCL17 can play a role in T‐cell–driven diseases, usually considered to be via its chemotactic activity on T helper 2 cells; however, given that CCR4 is also expressed by other cell types and there is elevated expression of CCL17 in many diseases, a broader CCL17 biology is suggested. In this review, we summarize the biology of CCL17, its regulation and its potential contribution to the pathogenesis of various preclinical models. Reference is made, for example, to recent literature indicating a role for CCL17 in the control of pain as part of a granulocyte macrophage–colony‐stimulating factor/CCL17 pathway in lymphocyte‐independent models and thus not as a T‐cell chemokine. The review also discusses the potential for CCL17 to be a biomarker and a therapeutic target in human disorders.