The MUC1-C oncoprotein as a target in hematologic malignancies.

摘要

MUC1 is a cell surface protein that was identified in the early 1980s based in part on its marked overexpression by breast cancer cells. During the ensuing years, high levels of MUC1 have been documented in many human carcinomas and, in general, overexpression has been associated with a poor prognosis. Although widely recognized as an epithelial membrane protein that is upregulated in carcinomas, MUC1 has also been detected in hema-tologic malignancies, including leuke-mias, lymphomas and multiple myeloma. Collectively, these findings have generated interest in MUC1 as a potential target for the treatment of both carcinomas and hematologic malignancies.