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L1CAM/CD171 expression in human tumors and its association with tumor phenotype
Seyma Büyücek1, Magalie Lurati1, Katharina Möller1
1Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Acta Oncologica (Stockholm, Sweden)
|December 2, 2025
Summary
L1CAM (CD171) is expressed in various cancers, suggesting it as a potential drug target. While L1CAM expression is not linked to aggressive phenotypes, it highlights specific tumor types for targeted therapies.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Immunohistochemistry
Background:
- L1 cell adhesion molecule (L1CAM/CD171) plays a role in cancer progression.
- Its restricted expression in normal tissues and cell surface localization make L1CAM a promising target for cancer therapies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the expression patterns of L1CAM across a wide range of cancer types.
- To identify specific tumor entities where L1CAM expression could be therapeutically relevant.
Main Methods:
- Immunohistochemistry was performed on a large-scale tissue microarray.
- The study included 20,079 tumor samples from 135 entities and 608 normal tissue samples from 76 entities.
Main Results:
- L1CAM was detected in 9.1% of interpretable tumor samples across 74 of 135 tumor entities.
- High L1CAM positivity was observed in neural neoplasms, endometrial carcinoma, ovarian cancer, melanoma, and urothelial tumors.
- L1CAM expression correlated with invasive growth in bladder cancer and mismatch repair deficiency in colorectal cancer.
Conclusions:
- The findings identify specific cancer types with L1CAM expression suitable for targeted anti-L1CAM therapies.
- L1CAM expression does not appear to be associated with an aggressive cancer cell phenotype.
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