MACC1 – a novel target for solid cancers

Abstract

Introduction: The metastatic dissemination of primary tumors is directly linked to patient survival in many tumor entities. The previously undescribed gene metastasis-associated in colon cancer 1 (MACC1) was discovered by genome-wide analyses in colorectal cancer (CRC) tissues. MACC1 is a tumor stage-independent predictor for CRC metastasis linked to metastasis-free survival.

Areas covered: In this review, the discovery of MACC1 is briefly presented. In the following, the overwhelming confirmation of these data is provided supporting MACC1 as a new remarkable biomarker for disease prognosis and prediction of therapy response for CRC and also for a variety of additional forms of solid cancers. Lastly, the potential clinical utility of MACC1 as a target for prevention or restriction of tumor progression and metastasis is envisioned.

Expert opinion: MACC1 has been identified as a prognostic biomarker in a variety of solid cancers. MACC1 correlated with tumor formation and progression, development of metastases and patient survival representing a decisive driver for tumorigenesis and metastasis. MACC1 was also demonstrated to be of predictive value for therapy response. MACC1 is a promising therapeutic target for anti-tumor and anti-metastatic intervention strategies of solid cancers. Its clinical utility, however, must be demonstrated in clinical trials.

Keywords::

• intervention
• MACC1
• prediction
• prognosis
• solid cancer

Acknowledgements

I am grateful to RH Shoemaker, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, to Wolfgang Walther, Experimental and Clinical Research Center, a joint cooperation between the Charité Medical Faculty and the Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, and to Mathias Dahlmann and Clara Lemos, both Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, for critically reading this manuscript.

Notes

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