title: Is episialin/MUC1 involved in breast cancer progression?
abstract: Episialin, also designated MUC1, CA 15-3 antigen and PEM, is an established serum marker for breast cancer. Its function and possible involvement in tumor progression has not yet been completely established. The molecule is an extended rod-like molecule protruding high above the cell surface. It is often highly overexpressed in breast cancer relative to normal breast epithelium cells. Overexpression of episialin on cells in vitro reduces cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix adhesion, because the rod-like molecule masks the adhesion receptors. Episialin also exerts its anti-adhesion effect in vivo. In certain human tumors, where episialin was present at the basal side of the cell, abnormal contacts between the plasma membrane and the stroma were observed. As a consequence of its anti-adhesion properties, episialin overexpression reduces the sensitivity of the cells for cytotoxic lymphocytes. This might be one of the reasons why episialin transfected cells are more potent to form experimental metastases after i.v. injection into nude mice.
authors.affiliation: Division of Tumor Biology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hilkens
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Vos
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wesseling
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boer
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Storm
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: van der Valk
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Calafat
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Patriarca
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000502:physiology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D018450:Disease Progression; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D008325:Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000503:physiopathology; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D018396:Mucin-1; D009077:Mucins / Q000502:physiology*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D018396:Mucin-1; D009077:Mucins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins