title: Cancer mucosa antigens: novel immunotherapeutic targets.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prevention and treatment of human cancer through immunotherapy has been difficult owing to lack of a specific target and poor immunity. It is of no surprise that cancer mucosa antigens (CMAs) may serve as attractive targets for cancer immunotherapy.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To present and discuss the current state of the research on CMAs.
  
  
  METHODS
  We review the evidence that a number of CMAs have been used to augment immune responses against cancer and that some progress has been made. We envisage future developments toward identifying CMAs and their potential applications to cancer treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CMAs may reasonably be considered as novel targets for immunotherapy. More investigations should be performed to improve the success of immunotherapy in clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology & Institute of Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, Shaanxi Province, China.
authors.forename: Liu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Daiming
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000276:immunology*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm