Electrochemical Immunoassay for Mucin 1 Detection as a Diagnostic Tool in Ovarian Cancer

摘要

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Among this, ovarian cancer represents the fifth cause of death and the most lethal of all gynecological malignancies [1, 2]. Early detection remains the most promising approach to improve long-term survival rate of patients affected by cancer [3]. For this, the analysis of the cancer biomarker represents an ideal tool to determine diagnosis and prognosis and follows the medical treatment of patients [4-6]. MUC1 gene encodes a type I transmembrane glycoprotein that is expressed on the apical surface of various epithelial cells. In malignant neoplasm, Mucin 1 (MUC1) loses its apical distribution, becomes underglycosylated and overexpressed, and is secreted into the blood circulation, serving therefore as potential tumor marker and prognosis factor in different types of cancer [7].