Expression of mage genes by non-small-cell lung carcinomas

Int J Cancer. 1994 Mar 15;56(6):826-9. doi: 10.1002/ijc.2910560612.

Abstract

Human gene MAGE-I codes for an antigen that is recognized on melanoma cells by autologous cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTL). This antigen is potentially useful as a target for cancer immunotherapy because gene MAGE-I is not expressed in any normal tissues except the testis. We tested 46 surgical samples of non-small-cell lung carcinomas and observed MAGE-I expression in 16 of them (35%). Genes MAGE-2 and 3, which are closely related to MAGE-I, were expressed by a similar proportion of these tumors. Some small-cell lung tumors also express MAGE genes. The proportion of tumors expressing MAGE-I suggests that lung tumor patients may constitute the largest group of patients potentially eligible for pilot studies involving MAGE-I immunization.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Base Sequence
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / genetics*
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / immunology
  • Gene Expression*
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Lung Neoplasms / immunology
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • RNA, Messenger / analysis
  • RNA, Neoplasm / analysis

Substances

  • RNA, Messenger
  • RNA, Neoplasm