Ep-CAM

**Semantic type:** Amino Acid, Peptide, or Protein|Immunologic Factor

**Definition:** Ep-CAM (epithelial cell adhesion molecule) is a tumor-associated antigen, 40-kDa transmembrane glycoprotein, overexpressed in many solid tumors, including carcinomas of the lung, breast, ovary, colorectum, and squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. The role of Ep-CAM in carcinogenesis and malignant progression is unclear, but there is increasing evidence that it modulates cell-cell interactions and that its expression correlates with the rate of cell proliferation; a promoting role of Ep-CAM in tissue invasion and metastasis has been suggested. The limited expression of Ep-CAM in normal epithelial tissues and immunogenic MHC class I and II restricted epitopes identified on Ep-CAM, provide opportunities for developing effective multiepitope cancer vaccines targeting Ep-CAM. NR-LU-10 is an IgG2b murine monoclonal antibody against Ep-CAM.

**Synonyms:** - 17-1A - EGP-2 - Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule - GA733-2 - NR-LU-10 Antigen - NR-LU-10 antigen