This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Old, L. J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Old, L. J.

Cancer Immunology: The Search for Specificity—G. H. A. Clowes Memorial Lecture¹

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10021

The major focus of cancer immunology has shifted away from arguments about the validity of the immunosurveillance theory of cancer to the more basic question of tumor-specific antigens. Despite vast effort aimed at demonstrating such antigens, their existence in the generality of cancer remains unproven. Serological analysis of three tumor types, mouse leukemia, mouse sarcoma, and human malignant melanoma, has received most attention, and a rudimentary classification of the surface antigens expressed by these tumors has begun to emerge. The prime candidates for antigens that can be considered tumor specific are the few instances of Class 1 antigens that have now been serologically defined on mouse and human tumors. These antigens show an absolute restriction to individual tumors, not being demonstrable on any other normal or malignant cell type. Biochemical and genetic characterization of Class 1 antigens represents an essential next step in evaluating the significance of these antigens. The surprising features of the Thymus Leukemia (TL) antigens of the mouse provide insight into the genetic origin of another key class of tumor antigens, in this case antigens with characteristic properties of both differentiation antigens and tumor-specific antigens. In normal mice, TL antigens are restricted to cells in the thymus, and strains differ with regard to expression versus nonexpression of TL antigens. Genetic information for TL is universal in the mouse, however, as leukemias developing in mice that normally lack TL are found to express TL.

What is clear from the past two decades of research in cancer immunology is that a far more detailed knowledge of surface antigens of tumor cells will be necessary before we can begin to assess the possibility of immunological control of cancer.

¹ Presented May 30 at the 1980 meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, in San Diego, Calif.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Z. Lin, M. A. Teitell, and G. J. Schiller The Evolution of Antibodies into Versatile Tumor-Targeting Agents Clin. Cancer Res., January 1, 2005; 11(1): 129 - 138. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Fleischer, B. Schmidt, W. Kastenmuller, D. H. Busch, I. Drexler, G. Sutter, M. Heike, C. Peschel, and H. Bernhard Melanoma-Reactive Class I-Restricted Cytotoxic T Cell Clones Are Stimulated by Dendritic Cells Loaded with Synthetic Peptides, but Fail to Respond to Dendritic Cells Pulsed with Melanoma-Derived Heat Shock Proteins In Vitro J. Immunol., January 1, 2004; 172(1): 162 - 169. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Michils, D. Dutry, V. Z. de Beyl, M. Remmelink, V. de Maertelaer, and P. Rocmans Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell Proliferation to Heat Shock Protein-70 Derived from Autologous Lung Carcinoma Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., September 1, 2002; 166(5): 749 - 753. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				V. A. Somers, R. J. Brandwijk, B. Joosten, P. T. Moerkerk, J.-W. Arends, P. Menheere, W. O. Pieterse, A. Claessen, R. J. Scheper, H. R. Hoogenboom, et al. A Panel of Candidate Tumor Antigens in Colorectal Cancer Revealed by the Serological Selection of a Phage Displayed cDNA Expression Library J. Immunol., September 1, 2002; 169(5): 2772 - 2780. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Jäger, E. Stockert, A. O. Güre, M. J. Scanlan, J. Karbach, E. Jäger, A. Knuth, L. J. Old, and Y.-T. Chen Identification of a Tissue-specific Putative Transcription Factor in Breast Tissue by Serological Screening of a Breast Cancer Library Cancer Res., March 1, 2001; 61(5): 2055 - 2061. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				D. Jäger, E. Stockert, E. Jäger, A. O. Güre, M. J. Scanlan, A. Knuth, L. J. Old, and Y.-T. Chen Serological Cloning of a Melanocyte rab Guanosine 5'-Triphosphate-binding Protein and a Chromosome Condensation Protein from a Melanoma Complementary DNA Library Cancer Res., July 1, 2000; 60(13): 3584 - 3591. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				D. M. Pardoll Inducing autoimmune disease to treat cancer PNAS, May 11, 1999; 96(10): 5340 - 5342. [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Bagot, H. Echchakir, F. Mami-Chouaib, M.-H. Delfau-Larue, D. Charue, A. Bernheim, S. Chouaib, L. Boumsell, and A. Bensussan Isolation of Tumor-Specific Cytotoxic CD4+ and CD4+CD8dim+ T-Cell Clones Infiltrating a Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma Blood, June 1, 1998; 91(11): 4331 - 4341. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. J. Old and Y.-T. Chen New Paths in Human Cancer Serology J. Exp. Med., April 20, 1998; 187(8): 1163 - 1167. [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Stockert, E. Jager, Y.-T. Chen, M. J. Scanlan, I. Gout, J. Karbach, M. Arand, A. Knuth, and L. J. Old A Survey of the Humoral Immune Response of Cancer Patients to a Panel of Human Tumor Antigens J. Exp. Med., April 20, 1998; 187(8): 1349 - 1354. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Jager, Y.-T. Chen, J. W. Drijfhout, J. Karbach, M. Ringhoffer, D. Jager, M. Arand, H. Wada, Y. Noguchi, E. Stockert, et al. Simultaneous Humoral and Cellular Immune Response against Cancer-Testis Antigen NY-ESO-1: Definition of Human Histocompatibility Leukocyte Antigen (HLA)-A2-binding Peptide Epitopes J. Exp. Med., January 19, 1998; 187(2): 265 - 270. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. B. E. Shields, C. Gercel-Taylor, C. M. Yashar, T. C. Wan, W. A. Katsanis, J. A. Spinnato, and D. D. Taylor Induction of Immune Responses to Ovarian Tumor Antigens by Multiparity Reproductive Sciences, November 1, 1997; 4(6): 298 - 304. [Abstract] [PDF]

				Y.-T. Chen, M. J. Scanlan, U. Sahin, O. Tureci, A. O. Gure, S. Tsang, B. Williamson, E. Stockert, M. Pfreundschuh, and L. J. Old A testicular antigen aberrantly expressed in human cancers detected by autologous antibody screening PNAS, March 4, 1997; 94(5): 1914 - 1918. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Goodenow, J. Vogel, and R. Linsk Histocompatibility antigens on murine tumors Science, November 15, 1985; 230(4727): 777 - 783. [Abstract] [PDF]