TACE is a candidate as mesothelin sheddase. A and B. A431/H9 cells with fresh medium (1×105 cells/well in a 96-well plate) were incubated with TIMPs (5 μg/mL), EGF (50 ng/mL), PMA (10 μM) or EGF plus Iressa (1 μM) for 5 h. Shed mesothelin in the cell supernatant was measured by ELISA. Negative and positive controls are PBS and GM6001 (20 μM). C. Tumor cells isolated from the ascites of five mesothelioma patients were examined for TACE expression with western blot. Cells from patients NCI-M-02, 05, 10, 11 and 13 were included.