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MUC1 Mucin

A Peacemaker in the Lung

¹ Immunology and Asthma Program, Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, Albuquerque, New Mexico; and ² Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland

Correspondence and requests for reprints should be addressed to K. Chul Kim, Ph.D., Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, 2425 Ridgecrest Dr., S.E., Albuquerque, NM 87108-5127. E-mail: kckim{at}LRRI.org

MUC1 is a membrane-tethered mucin expressed on the surface of epithelial cells lining mucosal surfaces. Recent studies have begun to elucidate the physiologic function of MUC1 in the airways, pointing to an antiinflammatory role that is initiated late in the course of bacterial infection and is mediated through inhibition of TLR signaling. These new findings have great potential for clinical applications in controlling excessive and prolonged lung inflammation. This review briefly summarizes the protein structural features of MUC1 relevant to its function, the discovery of its antiinflammatory properties, and potential directions for future avenues of study.

Key Words: MUC1 mucin • antiinflammatory • airway infection

CLINICAL RELEVANCE This article reviews the discovery of a new antiinflammatory molecule in the lung and provides the future directions of the antiinflammatory research from both basic and clinical viewpoints.