MUC1 cytoplasmic tail: a potential therapeutic target for ovarian carcinoma

Abstract

Ovarian cancer is often a lethal disease, since the occult progression of the tumor within the peritoneal cavity results in late diagnosis and treatment failure. The identification of molecular events specific to metastasis is critical for the development of effective therapies. MUC1 is aberrantly overexpressed by most ovarian cancer and regarded as a molecular target for ovarian cancer. This review focuses on the latest advances regarding a signaling region in the MUC1 C-terminal subunit-mediated c-Src signaling pathways in malignant transformation, invasion and metastasis. Disruption of MUC1-C-terminal subunit-associated c-Src signaling by targeting the specific sites might represent a novel immunotherapeutic approach for the treatment of ovarian cancer.

Keywords::

• cancer metastasis
• immunotherapy
• MUC1-CTl
• signal transduction