Abstract |
The MAGE antigens are frequently expressed cancer vaccine targets. However, quantitative analysis of MAGE expression in upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) tumor cells and its association with T-cell recognition has not been performed, hindering the selection of appropriate candidates for MAGE-specific immunotherapy. Using quantitative RT-PCR (QRT-PCR), we evaluated the expression of MAGE-3/6 in 65 UADT cancers, 48 normal samples from tumor matched sites and 7 HLA-A*0201+ squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) cell lines. Expression results were confirmed using Western blot. HLA-A*0201:MAGE-3- (271-279) specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (MAGE-CTL) from SCCHN patients and healthy donors showed that MAGE-3/6 expression was highly associated with CTL recognition in vitro. On the basis of the MAGE-3/6 expression, we could identify 31 (47%) of the 65 UADT tumors, which appeared to express MAGE-3/6 at levels that correlated with efficient CTL recognition. To confirm that the level of MAGE-3 expression was responsible for CTL recognition, 2 MAGE-3/6 mRNA(high) SCCHN cell lines, PCI-13 and PCI-30, were subjected to MAGE-3/6-specific knockdown. RNAi-transfected cells showed that MAGE expression and MAGE-CTL recognition were significantly reduced. Furthermore, treatment of cells expressing low MAGE-3/6 mRNA with a demethylating agent, 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (DAC), increased the expression of MAGE-3/6 and CTL recognition. Thus, using QRT-PCR UADT cancers frequently express MAGE-3/6 at levels sufficient for CTL recognition, supporting the use of a QRT-PCR-based assay for the selection of candidates likely to respond to MAGE-3/6 immunotherapy. Demethylating agents could increase the number of patients amenable for targeting epigenetically modified tumor antigens in vaccine trials.
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Authors | Pedro A Andrade Filho, Andrés López-Albaitero, Liqiang Xi, William Gooding, Tony Godfrey, Robert L Ferris |
Journal | International journal of cancer
(Int J Cancer)
Vol. 125
Issue 8
Pg. 1912-20
(Oct 15 2009)
ISSN: 1097-0215 [Electronic] United States |
PMID | 19610063
(Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural)
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Chemical References |
- Antigens, Neoplasm
- MAGEA3 protein, human
- MAGEA6 protein, human
- Neoplasm Proteins
- Peptide Fragments
- RNA, Messenger
- RNA, Small Interfering
- Interferon-gamma
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Topics |
- Antigens, Neoplasm
(metabolism)
- Blotting, Western
- Carcinoma, Squamous Cell
(metabolism, pathology)
- Case-Control Studies
- Cytotoxicity, Immunologic
- DNA Methylation
- Esophageal Neoplasms
(metabolism, pathology)
- Flow Cytometry
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
- Head and Neck Neoplasms
(metabolism, pathology)
- Humans
- Immunoenzyme Techniques
- Interferon-gamma
(metabolism)
- Lung Neoplasms
(metabolism, pathology)
- Neoplasm Proteins
(metabolism)
- Peptide Fragments
(metabolism)
- Prognosis
- RNA, Messenger
(genetics, metabolism)
- RNA, Small Interfering
(pharmacology)
- Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
- T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic
(immunology, pathology)
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