title: NY-ESO-1 tumour associated antigen is a cytoplasmic protein detectable by specific monoclonal antibodies in cell lines and clinical specimens.
abstract: NY-ESO-1 gene encodes a novel member of the cancer/testis (CT) family of human tumour-associated antigens (TAA). Specific monoclonal antibodies (mAb) have identified the corresponding gene product in lysates of tumour cell lines as a 22 kDa protein but no data are available concerning its intracellular location or distribution within neoplastic tissues. We have generated NY-ESO-1 specific mAbs recognizing the target molecule in cytospin preparations and in sections from clinical tumour specimens. These reagents identify NY-ESO-1 TAA in melanoma cell lines expressing the specific gene as a cytoplasmic protein, sharing the intracellular location of most MAGE TAA. In a series of 12 melanoma specimens, specific staining, limited to neoplastic cells, was detectable in the five cases where NY-ESO-1 gene expression was observed. In two of them over 90% of tumour cells showed evidence of positive staining. Lower percentages of positive neoplastic cells ranging between single cells and 50% were observed in the remaining tumours. These data suggest that active specific immunotherapies targeting NY-ESO-1, alone or in combination with other TAA could be of high clinical relevance in sizeable subgroups of melanoma patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schultz-Thater
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Noppen
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gudat
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Dürmüller
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zajac
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kocher
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heberer
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Spagnoli
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis*; D002460:Cell Line; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008545:Melanoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; C104948:CTAG1B protein, human; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins