CML28 is a broadly immunogenic antigen, which is overexpressed in tumor cells

Donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) reliably induces durable remission in 75-80% of patients with relapsed chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. To identify immunological targets of the graft-versus-leukemia response (GVL) after DLI, we used CML post-DLI responder sera to screen a CML cDNA expression library. One of the antigens identified in this screen is a M(r) 28,000 protein, termed CML28. CML28 is identical to hRrp46p, a component of the human exosome, a multiprotein complex involved in the 3' processing of RNA. Components of the human exosome include known autoantigens, such as PMScl-100, an autoantibody target in patients with polymyositis, scleroderma, or polymyositis-scleroderma overlap syndrome. Recombinant CML28-GST fusion protein was purified, and used in Western blot and ELISA to demonstrate the development of a high-titer CML28-specific IgG antibody response in a patient with relapsed CML who responded to DLI. Northern blotting demonstrated that CML28 is highly expressed in a variety of hematopoietic and epithelial tumor cell lines, but not in normal hematopoietic tissues or other normal tissue, with the exception of testis. Purified recombinant CML28 was used to generate a CML28-specific murine monoclonal antibody. Western blotting with CML28 monoclonal antibody against whole-cell lysates derived from blood and marrow of normal donors and patients with leukemia revealed high expression of this antigen in tumor but not in normal samples. Because CML28 was highly expressed in epithelial tumor cell lines, anti-CML28 responses were also examined in patients with solid tumors. By ELISA, we found specific serological responses in 10-33% of patients with lung cancer, melanoma, and prostate cancer. Our studies suggest that immunogenicity of CML28 is likely because of overexpression of this antigen in tumor cells. Moreover, given its expression and immunogenicity in a wide variety of malignancies, CML28 merits additional evaluation as a target for antigen-specific immunotherapy.