NY-ESO-1 may be a potential target for lung cancer immunotherapy.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the frequency of NY-ESO-1 expression in cultured lung cancer cells and to determine if this cancer-testis antigen can be presented for recognition by an HLA-restricted cytolytic T-cell clone specific for NY-ESO-1.


RESULTS
Reverse transcriptase and polymerase chain reaction amplification techniques were utilized to screen a panel of lung and esophageal cancer cell lines for expression of NY-ESO-1 encoding a recently identified cancer-testis antigen. NY-ESO-1 expression was detected in 11 of 16 small cell lung cancer lines, three of seven non-small cell lung cancer lines, and zero of 12 esophageal cancer lines. 5-Aza-2' -deoxycytidine induced expression of NY-ESO-1 in lung cancer cells. Expression of HLA-A31 by plasmid transfection or retroviral transduction enabled recognition of lung cancer cells by an HLA-A31-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocyte clone specific for NY-ESO-1.


CONCLUSIONS
NY-ESO-1 expression may be analogous to MAGE gene expression in lung cancer lines in terms of frequency and mechanism of transcriptional regulation. Furthermore, NY-ESO-1 can be presented on lung cancer cells for recognition by HLA-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Further investigation is warranted to determine if NY-ESO-1 can be exploited for the immunotherapy for lung cancer.
Lee
L
L
Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-1502, USA.
Wang
R F
RF
Wang
X
X
Mixon
A
A
Johnson
B E
BE
Rosenberg
S A
SA
Schrump
D S
DS
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology*; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D015234:HLA-A Antigens / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D011506:Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; C104948:CTAG1B protein, human; D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D015234:HLA-A Antigens; C069527:HLA-A31 antigen; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011506:Proteins