# MC1R

Source: https://onco.cc/targets/mc1r/  
OnCo record `mc1r` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

MC1R (Melanocyte-stimulating hormone receptor) is a gene. In the public catalogues the evidence so far is association rather than a proven role. Tied to Skin cancer, Melanoma and Basal cell carcinoma.

## Summary

G protein-coupled receptor that binds melanocyte-stimulating hormones (alpha, beta, and gamma-MSH) and adrenocorticotropic hormone/ACTH, which are peptide products of the POMC precursor protein. Upon activation, MC1R couples with the G(s) protein, stimulating adenylate cyclase and activating the cAMP-dependent signalling pathway. This activation promotes melanogenesis, resulting in the production of eumelanin (black/brown) and pheomelanin (red/yellow) in melanocytes.

Open Targets scores its association with cancer at 0.60 (direct and indirect evidence; datatypes literature 0.95, animal model 0.48, genetic association 0.71).

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-23
- Also known as: melanocortin 1 receptor; Melanocyte-stimulating hormone receptor; MSH-R
- Tags: cancer-genes-wave
- Symbol: MC1R
- Class: other
- Biology: G protein-coupled receptor that binds melanocyte-stimulating hormones (alpha, beta, and gamma-MSH) and adrenocorticotropic hormone/ACTH, which are peptide products of the POMC precursor protein. Upon activation, MC1R couples with the G(s) protein, stimulating adenylate cyclase and activating the cAMP-dependent signalling pathway. This activation promotes melanogenesis, resulting in the production of eumelanin (black/brown) and pheomelanin (red/yellow) in melanocytes. MC1R interacts with G protein-coupled receptor opsin 3/OPN3, which couples to G(i) proteins and inhibits the alpha-MSH-induced cAMP response, thereby reducing melanin synthesis. Binding to Agouti/ASP precludes alpha-MSH-induced signalling, thereby down-regulating melanogenesis. Additionally, interaction with MGRN1 displaces the G(s) protein, further suppressing MC1R signalling. Location: Cell membrane (UniProt). Locus 16q24.3 (HGNC).
- Where found: Skin cancer: Open Targets association 0.58 with skin cancer (MONDO_0002898); Melanoma: Open Targets association 0.62 with melanoma (MONDO_0005105); Basal cell carcinoma: Open Targets association 0.53 with basal cell carcinoma (MONDO_0020804)

## Notes

- Written by scripts/fetch-cancer-genes.ts from CIViC, Open Targets, IntOGen, HGNC and UniProt; the function text is UniProt's, condensed and in UK spelling. Roles: none stated by the sources. Evidence tier "association-only" is the strongest of those signals.
- Prevalence not recorded: none of the sources gives a positivity rate.

## Sources

- HGNC HGNC:6929: https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:6929
- UniProt Q01726: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/Q01726/entry
- NCBI Gene 4157: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/4157
- Ensembl ENSG00000258839: https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000258839

## Connected records

- collections: [Open Targets Platform](https://onco.cc/collections/open-targets/)
- cancers: [Basal cell carcinoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/basal-cell-carcinoma/), [Melanoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/melanoma/), [Skin cancer (all types)](https://onco.cc/cancers/skin-cancer/)
- trials: [MC1R-targeted Alpha-particle Monotherapy and Combination Therapy Trial With Nivolumab in Adults With Advanced Melanoma](https://onco.cc/trials/nct05655312/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/mc1r.json