Giordano Giovanna, Ferioli Elena, Tafuni Alessandro
Pathology Unit, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Viale A. Gramsci, 14, 43126 Parma, Italy.
Cancers (Basel). 2022 May 3;14(9):2283. doi: 10.3390/cancers14092283.
Mesothelin (MSLN) is a protein expressed in the mesothelial cell lining of the pleura, peritoneum, and pericardium; its biological functions in normal cells are still unknown. Experimental studies using knockout mice have suggested that this molecule does not play an important role in development and reproduction. In contrast, it has been observed that this molecule is produced in abnormal amounts in several malignant neoplasms, such as mesotheliomas and pancreatic adenocarcinomas. Many molecular studies have also demonstrated that mesothelin is overexpressed in HSOCs. Here, we discuss the current knowledge of mesothelin and focus on its role in clinical and pathological diagnoses, as well as its impact on the prognosis of HSOC. Moreover, regarding the binding of MSLN to the ovarian cancer antigen CA125, which has been demonstrated in many studies, we also report on signal transduction pathways that may play an important role in the spread and neoplastic progression of this lethal neoplasm. Given that mesothelin is overexpressed in many solid tumours and has antigenic properties, this molecule could be considered an antigenic target for the treatment of many malignancies. Consequently, we also review the literature to report on mesothelin-targeting therapies for HSOC that have been recently investigated in many clinical studies.
间皮素（MSLN）是一种在胸膜、腹膜和心包的间皮细胞衬里中表达的蛋白质；其在正常细胞中的生物学功能仍不清楚。使用基因敲除小鼠的实验研究表明，该分子在发育和繁殖中不发挥重要作用。相反，已经观察到该分子在几种恶性肿瘤中产生异常量，如间皮瘤和胰腺腺癌。许多分子研究还表明，间皮素在高级别浆液性卵巢癌（HSOC）中过表达。在此，我们讨论关于间皮素的当前知识，并重点关注其在临床和病理诊断中的作用，以及其对HSOC预后的影响。此外，关于许多研究中已证实的MSLN与卵巢癌抗原CA125的结合，我们还报告了可能在这种致命肿瘤的扩散和肿瘤进展中起重要作用的信号转导途径。鉴于间皮素在许多实体瘤中过表达并具有抗原特性，该分子可被视为治疗许多恶性肿瘤的抗原靶点。因此，我们还回顾文献，报告最近在许多临床研究中研究的针对HSOC的间皮素靶向治疗。
