UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN

South African Scientists Decode How Cancer Rewires MUC1 Sugar Coating to Evade the Immune System

- University of Cape Town researchers published in Nature Communications the molecular mechanism by which cancer alters MUC1 glycosylation, transforming a protective protein into a tumor-promoting shield. - The team discovered that in tumor cells, sugar-chain-building enzymes relocate from the Golgi apparatus to the endoplasmic reticulum, bypassing normal cellular checks and creating aberrant Tn and sTn antigens. - Using quantum chemistry simulations, scientists pinpointed the T13 site on MUC1 as the preferred location for cancer-driven sugar alterations, driving the increase in sTn antigen seen in malignant tumors. - The findings lay the groundwork for developing cancer vaccines, biomarkers, and precision therapies aimed at stripping away cancer's sugar shield to restore immune detection.