Journal Article

Brother of the regulator of the imprinted site

Nakatsugawa, Munehide, Tsukahara, Tomohide, Toji, Shingo, Mariya, Tasuku, Saijo, Hiroshi, Horibe, Ryota, Takahashi, Hiroki, Asano, Takuya, Shionoya, Yosuke, Hirano, Hiroshi, Atsuyama, Eri, Kanaseki, Takayuki, Watanabe, Kazue, Sato, Noriyuki, Torigoe, Toshihiko, Hasegawa, Tadashi, Suzuki, Takeshi, Takaya, Akari, Hirohashi, Yoshihiko, Kubo, Terufumi

2017

Overview

Lung cancer is one of the most common malignancies with a high rate of mortality. Lung cancer stem-like cells (CSCs)/ cancer-initiating cells (CICs) play major role in resistance to treatments, recurrence and distant metastasis and eradication of CSCs/CICs is crucial to improve recent therapy. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) are major effectors of cancer immunotherapy, and CTLs recognize antigenic peptides derived from antigens that are presented by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules. In this study, we analyzed the potency of a cancer-testis (CT) antigen, brother of the regulator of the imprinted site variant subfamily 6 (BORIS sf6), in lung CSC/CIC immunotherapy. BORIS sf6 mRNA was expressed in lung carcinoma cells (9/19), especially in sphere-cultured lung cancer stem-like cells, and in primary lung carcinoma tissues (4/9) by RT-PCR. Immunohistochemical staining using BORIS sf6-specific antibody revealed that high expression of BORIS sf6 is related to poorer prognosis. CTLs could be induced by using a human leukocyte antigen, (HLA)-A2 restricted antigenic peptide (BORIS C34_24(9)), from all of 3 HLA-A2-positive individuals, and CTL clone cells specific for BORIS C34_24(9) peptide could recognize BORIS sf6-positive, HLA-A2-positive lung carcinoma cells. These results indicate that BORIS sf6 is a novel target of lung cancer immunotherapy that might be useful for targeting treatment-resistant lung cancer stem-like cells.

• Publisher: Public Library of Science
• Subject: Cancer cells / Care and treatment / Genetic aspects / Immunotherapy / Lung cancer