MUC1 Knockdown With RNA Interference Inhibits Pancreatic Cancer Growth

MUC1, a tumor associated glycoprotein over-expressed in 95% of pancreatic cancers, has been shown to be associated with a worse prognosis. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of loss of MUC1 expression on pancreatic tumor growth. PANC1 human pancreatic carcinoma cells with stable “knockdown” MUC1 expression were created using a MUC1 specific short interfering RNA (siRNA). PANC1 cells with “knockdown” MUC1 expression had decreased in vitro proliferation compared with PANC1 wild type and control cells. PANC1-MUC1siRNA cells grew significantly slower in severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice compared with wild type and negative controls. Our data suggested that decreasing MUC1 tumor expression by RNA interference may be a novel molecular approach for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Key Words: MUC1, pancreatic cancer, PANC1, RNA interference, SCID mice