A testicular antigen aberrantly expressed in human cancers detected by autologous antibody screening.
Serological analysis of recombinant cDNA expression libraries (SEREX) using tumor mRNA and autologous patient serum provides a powerful approach to identify immunogenic tumor antigens. We have applied this methodology to a case of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and identified several candidate tumor targets. One of these, NY-ESO-1, showed restricted mRNA expression in normal tissues, with high-level mRNA expression found only in testis and ovary tissues. Reverse transcription-PCR analysis showed NY-ESO-1 mRNA expression in a variable proportion of a wide array of human cancers, including melanoma, breast cancer, bladder cancer, prostate cancer, and hepatocellular carcinoma. NY-ESO-1 encodes a putative protein of Mr 17,995 having no homology with any known protein. The pattern of NY-ESO-1 expression indicates that it belongs to an expanding family of immunogenic testicular antigens that are aberrantly expressed in human cancers in a lineage-nonspecific fashion. These antigens, initially detected by either cytotoxic T cells (MAGE, BAGE, GAGE-1) or antibodies [HOM-MEL-40(SSX2), NY-ESO-1], represent a pool of antigenic targets for cancer vaccination.
Chen
Y T
YT
Cornell University Medical College, New York, NY 10021, USA.
Scanlan
M J
MJ
Sahin
U
U
Türeci
O
O
Gure
A O
AO
Tsang
S
S
Williamson
B
B
Stockert
E
E
Pfreundschuh
M
M
Old
L J
LJ
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000276:immunology*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D015723:Gene Library; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D010053:Ovary / Q000276:immunology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D017421:Sequence Analysis; D013737:Testis / Q000276:immunology*
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; C104948:CTAG1B protein, human; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger