EpCAM (CD326) finding its role in cancer

Although epithelial cell adhesion/activating molecule (EpCAM/CD326) is one of the first tumour-associated antigens identified, it has never received the same level of attention as other target proteins for therapy of cancer. It is also striking that ever since its discovery in the late 1970s the act...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inBritish journal of cancer Vol. 96; no. 3; pp. 417 - 423
Main Authors BAEUERLE, P. A, GIRES, O
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basingstoke Nature Publishing Group 12.02.2007
Subjects
Antigens
Antigens, Neoplasm - chemistry
Antigens, Neoplasm - physiology
Biological and medical sciences
Biology
Cancer research
Cell adhesion & migration
Cell Adhesion Molecules - chemistry
Cell Adhesion Molecules - physiology
Clinical Study
Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule
Gastric cancer
Humans
Immunotherapy
Medical research
Medical sciences
Metastasis
Monoclonal antibodies
Neoplasms - etiology
Neoplasms - mortality
Ovarian cancer
Prognosis
Prostate cancer
Proteins
Signal Transduction
Tumors
Germany
meeting report
Cancerology
role in cancer
EpCAM
CD326
Malignant tumor
Cancer
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Summary:Although epithelial cell adhesion/activating molecule (EpCAM/CD326) is one of the first tumour-associated antigens identified, it has never received the same level of attention as other target proteins for therapy of cancer. It is also striking that ever since its discovery in the late 1970s the actual contribution of EpCAM to carcinogenesis remained unexplored until very recently. With a First International Symposium on EpCAM Biology and Clinical Application this is now changing. Key topics discussed at the meeting were the frequency and level of EpCAM expression on various cancers and its prognostic potential, the role of EpCAM as an oncogenic signalling molecule for cancer cells, recent progress on EpCAM-directed immunotherapeutic approaches in clinical development and the interaction of EpCAM with other proteins, which may provide a basis for a therapeutic window and repression of its growth-promoting signalling in carcinoma. Future research on EpCAM may benefit from a unified nomenclature and more frequent exchange among those who have been working on this cancer target during the past 30 years and will do so in the future.
ISSN:0007-0920
1532-1827
DOI:10.1038/sj.bjc.6603494