Mannitou Monoclonal Antibody Uniquely Recognizes Paucimannose, a Marker for Human Cancer, Stemness, and Inflammation

The trimannosyl structure, also called paucimannose, is characteristic for all eukaryotic N-glycans. The unmodified structure is expressed abundantly in plants and invertebrates, whereas in normal mammalian tissue it has been detected in only very small amounts. We have developed a monoclonal antibody called Mannitou that specifically recognizes paucimannose and clearly stains all human cancer tissues analyzed, human adult pancreatic stem cells, and inflamed mouse pancreata. Normal tissues/cells exhibited only weak or no staining. The up-regulation of paucimannose under tumorigenic and inflammatory conditions makes the Mannitou antibody a promising tool for diagnosis and potential therapeutic applications.