This mAb recognizes the peptide core of gastric mucin M1 (recently identified as Mucin 5AC). This mucin is present in primary ovarian mucinous cancer but usually absent in colorectal adenocarcinoma, thus showing an expression pattern opposite to MUC2. Together with a panel of antibodies, anti-MUC5AC may be useful for differential identification of primary mucinous ovarian tumors from colon adenocarcinoma metastatic to the ovary. MUC5AC antibodies may also be useful for identification of intestinal metaplasia as well as in the identification of pancreatic carcinoma and pre-cancerous changes vs. normal pancreas.

It has been found that treating the testing sample with Papain or mercaptoethanol will destroy the M1 epitope for the 2-11M1 antibody (Ref. 1; Cancer Research 46.8 (1986): 3983-3989.)