| Modification Notes |
The melanoma-associated antigen (MAGE) family consists of a number of antigens recognized by cytotoxic T lymphocytes. The MAGE genes were initially isolated from different kinds of tumors, and based on their virtually exclusive tumor-specific expression in adult tissues, they have been used as targets for cancer immunotherapy. MAGE genes encode for tumor-rejection antigens and are expressed in tumors of different histologic types, but not in normal tissues, with the exception of testis and placenta. Malignant neoplasms have been shown to express MAGE genes, notably MAGE-A4. Expression correlates significantly with poorly differentiated tumors of cervical lineage, and while MAGE-A4 localizes to the nucleus in well-differentiated tumors, it occupies both the nucleus and cytoplasm of poorly differentiated cancer cells. Expres-sion of MAGE-4 is not limited to cervical carcinoma; more than 50 percent of carcinomas of the esophagus, head and neck, lung, and bladder also express MAGE-A4, where it prompts cytolytic T lymphocyte targeting, suggesting it may serve as a target for antitumoral vaccination. |
