Oncogenic cancer/testis antigens: prime candidates for immunotherapy

Morten F Gjerstorff, Mads H Andersen, Henrik J Ditzel

    173 Citationer (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Recent developments have set the stage for immunotherapy as a supplement to conventional cancer treatment. Consequently, a significant effort is required to further improve efficacy and specificity, particularly the identification of optimal therapeutic targets for clinical testing. Cancer/testis antigens are immunogenic, highly cancer-specific, and frequently expressed in various types of cancer, which make them promising candidate targets for cancer immunotherapy, including cancer vaccination and adoptive T-cell transfer with chimeric T-cell receptors. Our current understanding of tumor immunology and immune escape suggests that targeting oncogenic antigens may be beneficial, meaning that identification of cancer/testis antigens with oncogenic properties is of high priority. Recent work from our lab and others provide evidence that many cancer/testis antigens, in fact, have oncogenic functions, including support of growth, survival and metastasis. This novel insight into the function of cancer/testis antigens has the potential to deliver more effective cancer vaccines. Moreover, immune targeting of oncogenic cancer/testis antigens in combination with conventional cytotoxic therapies or novel immunotherapies such as checkpoint blockade or adoptive transfer, represents a highly synergistic approach with the potential to improve patient survival.

    OriginalsprogEngelsk
    TidsskriftOncoTarget
    Vol/bind6
    Udgave nummer18
    Sider (fra-til)15772-87
    Antal sider16
    ISSN1949-2553
    DOI
    StatusUdgivet - 30 jun. 2015

    Fingeraftryk

    Dyk ned i forskningsemnerne om 'Oncogenic cancer/testis antigens: prime candidates for immunotherapy'. Sammen danner de et unikt fingeraftryk.

    Citationsformater