HAGE, a novel cancer/testis antigen with strong potential as a target for immunotherapy against cancers
Since van der Bruggen et al. (1991) first identified specific human tumour antigens of the MAGE family, numerous potential immunotherapeutic targets have been discovered, often belonging to the so-called cancer/testis (CT) gene family. In a search for novel epitopes from potential tumour target antigens, HAGE, a CT antigen, has been studied. It was first identified in a sarcoma and has since been reported in several carcinomas and leukaemias at the mRNA level only. This study proposed to investigate HAGE as a potential target for immunotherapy in a murine tumour model. HAGE mRNA was found to be expressed in a small proportion of carcinomas, some melanomas and in a strong proportion of chronic myeloid leukaemias as compared to normal tissues, which do not express HAGE with the exception of testis. HAGE protein levels were also confirmed on tissue sections and in cell lines in order to rule out any post-transcriptional modifications. Furthermore, HAGE has been previously described as member of the DEAD-box family of ATP-dependent RNA helicases but very little is known about its actual function. RNA helicases are involved in various steps of RNA metabolism and their over-expression has often been linked with tumorogenesis. Using a combination of silencing and transfection experiments, HAGE was proven to be critical for tumour cell proliferation.
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