A monoclonal antibody against the oncogenic mucin 1 cytoplasmic domain

Mucin 1 (MUC1) is a heterodimeric protein that is aberrantly overexpressed in diverse human carcinomas and certain hematologic malignancies. The transmembrane MUC1-C subunit confers tumorigenicity and is a target for anti-cancer drug development. In this regard, the MUC1-C cytoplasmic domain interacts with multiple effectors that have been linked to transformation. Here we report on the generation of a mouse monoclonal antibody (MAb) against the human MUC1-C cytoplasmic domain (MUC1-CD). This IgG1 MAb, designated anti-MUC1-CD, reacts with the NYGQLDIFP epitope. We show that anti-MUC1-CD is useful in immunoblotting and immunoprecipitation experiments. In addition, anti-MUC1-CD can be used to detect expression of the MUC1-C subunit in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues. The MUC1-C inhibitor has entered Phase I evaluation for patients with refractory solid tumors. The present results indicate that the anti-MUC1-CD antibody could be useful as a biomarker to identify patients with tumors that may be responsive to MUC1-C inhibitors.