MSLN

MSLN, or mesothelin, is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored cell-surface glycoprotein that undergoes protein hydrolysis of the preprotein encoded by the MSLN gene to produce two protein products, megakaryocyte enhancer factor and mesothelin.
The mechanism of action of MSLN involves its expression on the cell surface, which promotes heterotypic cell adhesion through high-affinity interactions with ligands such as CA125/MUC16, which in turn affects tumor metastasis. In addition, overexpression of MSLN activates intracellular pathways that promote cell proliferation and resist apoptosis by NF-κB, MAPK and PI3K-kinase.
MSLN has limited expression in normal tissues, but overexpression in several solid tumors, including ovarian, breast, colorectal and pancreatic cancers, correlates with lower survival rates and is an ideal target for tumor-specific therapy.