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Background: Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is a rare peritoneal mucinous carcinomatosis with largely unknown underlying molecular mechanisms. Cytoreductive surgery combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy is the only therapeutic option; however, despite its use, recurrence with a fatal outcome is common. The lack of molecular characterisation of PMP and other mucinous tumours is mainly due to the physicochemical properties of mucin. Results: This manuscript describes the first protocol capable of breaking the mucin barrier and isolating proteins from mucinous tumours. Briefly, mucinous tumour samples were homogenised and subjected to liquid chromatography using two specific columns to reduce mainly glycoproteins, albumins and immunoglobulin G. The protein fractions were then subjected to mass spectrometry analysis and the proteomic profile obtained was analysed using various bioinformatic tools. Thus, we present here the first proteome analysed in PMP and identified a distinct mucin isoform profile in soft compared to hard mucin tumour tissues as well as key biological processes/pathways altered in mucinous tumours. Importantly, this protocol also allowed us to identify MUC13 as a potential tumour cell marker in PMP. Conclusions: In sum, our results demonstrate that this protein isolation protocol from mucin will have a high impact, allowing the oncology research community to more rapidly advance in the knowledge of PMP and other mucinous neoplasms, as well as develop new and effective therapeutic strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study published in the British Journal of Surgery examined the use of BromAc, a combination of bromelain and N-acetylcysteine, in treating pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP), a rare disease characterized by mucin-secreting tumor cells. The trial involved ten patients with recurrent and unresectable PMP who had previously undergone multiple surgeries. The results showed that BromAc treatment resulted in a partial response in 54.5% of treated masses, stabilization in 27.3% of masses, and progression in 18.2% of masses. While the study suggests that intratumoural BromAc may be a promising option for inoperable PMP, further research is needed to confirm these findings. [Extracted from the article]