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Molecular cloning of a tumor-associated antigen recognized by monoclonal antibody 3H11

D Chen1, C Shou

  • 1Beijing Institute for Cancer Research, Beijing 100034, People's Republic of China.

Insights

Monoclonal antibody 3H11 targets a novel cancer antigen. This antigen is highly expressed in tumors and embryonic tissues but not normal adult tissues, suggesting a role in cancer development and potential for biotherapy.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Monoclonal antibody (MAb) 3H11 specifically binds to various cancer cells.
  • MAb 3H11 is clinically used for cancer detection.
  • Cloning the target antigen is crucial for understanding tumor biology and developing cancer biotherapies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify and characterize the antigen recognized by MAb 3H11.
  • To investigate the antigen's expression patterns and potential role in cancer.

Main Methods:

  • Screening a human gastric cancer cell line cDNA library using MAb 3H11.
  • Expressing a fusion protein of the antigen and analyzing its interaction with MAb 3H11.
  • Utilizing Rapid Amplification of cDNA Ends (RACE) and nested PCR to obtain the full-length cDNA.
  • Performing Northern blot and RT-PCR to analyze mRNA expression.
  • Generating antibodies against the prokaryotically expressed antigen.

Main Results:

  • A positive clone expressing a 0.5 kb cDNA fragment recognized by MAb 3H11 was isolated.
  • The full-length cDNA (2156 bp) encodes a protein of 589 amino acids with no highly homologous genes in GenBank.
  • The antigen's mRNA is widely distributed in embryonic and cancerous tissues but absent in corresponding normal tissues.
  • The antigen exhibits low differentiation and high proliferation characteristics.
  • Prokaryotic expression of the antigen showed low immunogenicity in mammals.

Conclusions:

  • A novel cancer-associated antigen recognized by MAb 3H11 has been identified and cloned.
  • The antigen's restricted expression in tumors and embryonic tissues suggests its role as an expression regulator.
  • The antigen's characteristics indicate potential as a target for cancer biotherapy.

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