title: Identification and Validation of HCC-specific Gene Transcriptional Signature for Tumor Antigen Discovery.
abstract: A novel two-step bioinformatics strategy was applied for identification of signatures with therapeutic implications in hepatitis-associated HCC. Transcriptional profiles from HBV- and HCV-associated HCC samples were compared with non-tumor liver controls. Resulting HCC modulated genes were subsequently compared with different non-tumor tissue samples. Two related signatures were identified, namely "HCC-associated" and "HCC-specific". Expression data were validated by RNA-Seq analysis carried out on unrelated HCC samples and protein expression was confirmed according to The Human Protein Atlas" (http://proteinatlas.org/), a public repository of immunohistochemistry data. Among all, aldo-keto reductase family 1 member B10, and IGF2 mRNA-binding protein 3 were found strictly HCC-specific with no expression in 18/20 normal tissues. Target peptides for vaccine design were predicted for both proteins associated with the most prevalent HLA-class I and II alleles. The described novel strategy showed to be feasible for identification of HCC-specific proteins as highly potential target for HCC immunotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology, Naples-Italy.
authors.forename: Annacarmen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petrizzo
authors.affiliation: University del Sannio, Benevento-Italy.|BIOGEM S.c.a.r.l., Ariano Iprino-Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca Pia
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Caruso
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology, Naples-Italy.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tagliamonte
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology, Naples-Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Lina
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Tornesello
authors.affiliation: University del Sannio, Benevento-Italy.|BIOGEM S.c.a.r.l., Ariano Iprino-Italy.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ceccarelli
authors.affiliation: Institute of Genetics and Biophysics "A. Buzzati-Traverso" (IGB), National Research Council, 80131 Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Valerio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Institute of Genetics and Biophysics "A. Buzzati-Traverso" (IGB), National Research Council, 80131 Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aprile
authors.affiliation: Institute of Genetics and Biophysics "A. Buzzati-Traverso" (IGB), National Research Council, 80131 Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Esposito
authors.affiliation: Scientific Direction, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori, "Fondazione Pascale"-IRCCS, Naples-Italy.
authors.forename: Gennaro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ciliberto
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology, Naples-Italy.
authors.forename: Franco M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Buonaguro
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology, Naples-Italy.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Buonaguro
mesh_terms: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D019295:Computational Biology; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000150:complications; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm