Review Article
Mucins in Gastric Cancer - An Update
Doron Boltin and Yaron Niv*
Department of Gastroenterology, Rabin Medical Center, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel
- *Corresponding Author:
- Yaron Niv
Professor, Department of Gastroenterology
Rabin Medical Center, 39 Jabotinski Street
Petah Tikva, 49100, Israel
Tel: + 972-3-9377237
Fax: +972-3-9210313
E-mail: nivyaron80@gmail.com
Received date: May 29, 2013; Accepted date: July 01, 2013; Published date: July 03, 2013
Citation: Boltin D, Niv Y (2013) Mucins in Gastric Cancer - An Update. J Gastroint Dig Syst 3:123. doi: 10.4172/2161-069X.1000123
Copyright: © 2013 Boltin D, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Abstract
Mucins are high-molecular-weight glycoproteins expressed throughout the gastrointestinal tract, with a key role in mucosal protection and function. In gastric cancer expression of MUC5AC and MUC1 is reduced and denovo expression of MUC2 occurs. With progressive loss of tumor differentiation and increased tumor stage, expression of MUC5AC and MUC1 is further reduced, and MUC2 decreases. Isolated MUC2 expression (the intestinal phenotype) correlates with metastatic spread and poor survival. There is emerging evidence that MUC1 acts as an oncoprotein when overexpressed. The cytoplasmic tail of MUC1 interacts with the H. pylori virulence factor cagA and is a major effector of the wnt-β catenin intracellular signalling cascade. Polymorphism in the MUC1 gene has been identified in gastric cancer patients and may have a prospective role in the stratification of high-risk subjects. The MUC1 gene also mediates resistance to the recombinant HER2/neu antibody trastuzumab. Future research efforts will examine targeting MUC1 for therapeutic purposes.
