Abstract
The MUC 1 mucin is expressed on normal breast epithelium and in 90% of breast cancers. We report here that tumor-associated MUC1 is a ligand for intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1). Antibodies to ICAM-1 and to MUC1 inhibited adhesion of human and transfected mouse MUC1-positive cell lines to human umbilical vein endothelial cell monolayers and immobilized recombinant human ICAM-1-immunoglobulin fusion protein. Purified MUC1 pretreatment of recombinant human ICAM-1 was an equally effective inhibitor of adhesion. The interaction between MUC1 and ICAM-1 may be critical to the process of bloodborne metastases in breast cancer.
This research was funded by Special Project Grant 41717901507 from the Alberta Cancer Board. Preliminary results reported in this manuscript were printed in abstract form in the March 1996 congress of the International Academy of Pathology.
