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Updated: Jan 30, 2026

Establishment and Histological Analysis of Esophageal Organoids Modeling the Progression from Normal to Cancerous Tissues
Published on: May 30, 2025
Expression of cancer-testis antigens in esophageal cancer and their progress in immunotherapy
Yujie Zhang1, Yuxin Zhang2, Li Zhang3
1Department of Oncology, Tongji Medical College, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China.
Purpose:
Esophageal cancer is a common disease in China with low survival rate due to no obvious early symptoms and lack of effective screening strategies. Traditional treatments usually do not produce desirable results in patients with advanced esophageal cancer, so immunotherapy which relies on tumor-related antigens is needed to combat low survival rates effectively. Cancer-testis antigens (CTA), a large family of tumor-related antigens, have a strong in vivo immunogenicity and tumor-restricted expressing patterns in normal adult tissues. These two characteristics are ideal features of anticancer immunotherapy targets and, therefore, promoted the development of some studies of CTA-based therapy. To provide ideas for the role of the cancer-testis antigens MAGE-A, NY-ESO-1, LAGE-1, and TTK in esophageal cancer, we summarized their expression, prognostic value, and development in immunotherapy.
Methods:
The relevant literature from PubMed is reviewed in this study.
Results:
In esophageal cancer, although the relationship between expression of MAGE-A, NY-ESO-1, LAGE-1, and TTK and prognosis value is still in a controversial situation, MAGE-A, NY-ESO-1, LAGE-1, and TTK are highly expressed and can induce specific CTL cells to produce particular killing effect on tumor cells, and some clinical trials have demonstrated that immunotherapy for esophageal cancer patients is effective and safe, which provides a new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of esophageal cancer in the future.
Conclusion:
In this review, we summarize expression and prognostic value of MAGE-A, NY-ESO-1, LAGE-1, and TTK in esophageal cancer and point out recent advances in immunotherapy about them.
Insights
Cancer-testis antigens (CTA) like MAGE-A, NY-ESO-1, LAGE-1, and TTK show promise for esophageal cancer immunotherapy. While their prognostic value is debated, their expression and ability to induce tumor cell killing offer new therapeutic strategies.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Immunology
- Cancer Research
Background:
- Esophageal cancer presents a significant health challenge in China, characterized by low survival rates due to late detection and limited effective treatments.
- Traditional therapies often fall short for advanced stages, highlighting the need for novel approaches like immunotherapy.
- Cancer-testis antigens (CTA) are tumor-related antigens with high immunogenicity and restricted expression, making them attractive targets for cancer immunotherapy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the expression patterns and prognostic significance of MAGE-A, NY-ESO-1, LAGE-1, and TTK in esophageal cancer.
- To explore the potential of these CTA as targets for immunotherapy in esophageal cancer.
- To summarize recent advancements in CTA-based immunotherapy for esophageal cancer.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature review of relevant studies was conducted using PubMed.
- Analysis focused on the expression, prognostic value, and immunotherapeutic potential of specific CTA in esophageal cancer.
Main Results:
- MAGE-A, NY-ESO-1, LAGE-1, and TTK are frequently expressed in esophageal cancer.
- These CTA can stimulate cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses against tumor cells.
- Clinical trials indicate that immunotherapy for esophageal cancer is both safe and effective, suggesting a promising future therapeutic avenue.
Conclusions:
- The expression and prognostic value of MAGE-A, NY-ESO-1, LAGE-1, and TTK in esophageal cancer warrant further investigation.
- CTA-based immunotherapy represents a viable and emerging strategy for treating esophageal cancer.
- Continued research into CTA is crucial for developing more effective esophageal cancer treatments.
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