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Target Discovery and Validation Reviews and Protocols

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16<br />

Identification of Tumor Antigens by Using Proteomics<br />

François Le Naour<br />

Summary<br />

The recent progress of proteomics has opened new avenues for tumor-associated antigen<br />

discovery. Here, I describe a two-dimensional (2D), gel-based Western blot approach for<br />

screening <strong>and</strong> identification of proteins eliciting a humoral response in cancer. Sera from<br />

patients are used in 2D Western blot experiments for screening of autoantibodies, <strong>and</strong> the<br />

immunoreactive target proteins are subsequently identified by mass spectrometry. Applied to<br />

several types of cancer, this proteomic-based approach has revealed a high frequency of<br />

autoantibodies in sera from cancer patients <strong>and</strong> has led to the identification of novel tumor antigens.<br />

Relevant examples are described.<br />

Key Words: Autoantibodies; mass spectrometry; proteomics; two-dimensional (2D) Western<br />

blot; tumor antigens.<br />

1. Introduction<br />

Cancer immunology has a long history since it has been worded more than a<br />

century ago that tumor cells could be considered as “nonself” (1). This basic<br />

concept, suggesting that the immune system could be able to recognize tumor<br />

cells <strong>and</strong> then destroy them, has been strengthened by the observation of spontaneous<br />

tumor regression in some patients with different types of cancer. To<br />

develop immunotherapeutic intervention, also called immunotherapy or cancer<br />

vaccine, in cancer patients, the field of cancer immunology has been dominated<br />

by the search of tumor-specific <strong>and</strong> tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) as well<br />

as by the characterization of the immune cells involved in tumor recognition by<br />

the autologous host. It has now been demonstrated that cancer may elicit autologous<br />

immune response involving CD8+ cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs),<br />

CD4+ T-helper cells as well as antibodies (2–4). Tumor rejection is critically<br />

From: Methods in Molecular Biology, vol. 360, <strong>Target</strong> <strong>Discovery</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Validation</strong> <strong>Reviews</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Protocols</strong><br />

Volume I, Emerging Strategies for <strong>Target</strong>s <strong>and</strong> Biomarket <strong>Discovery</strong><br />

Edited by: M. Sioud © Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ<br />

327

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