Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 25, 2025
13:19
Microarray-based Identification of Individual HERV Loci Expression: Application to Biomarker Discovery in Prostate Cancer
Published on: November 2, 2013
16.9K
Does EIF2S3 Retrogene Activation Regulate Cancer/Testis Antigen Expression in Human Cancers?
Jan Rohozinski1,2, Creighton L Edwards1,2
1Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.
Frontiers in Oncology
|December 17, 2020
Summary
Cancer/Testis (C/T) antigens, found in most cancers, may be activated by the autosomal retrogene EIF2S3B. This discovery offers new avenues for cancer biomarkers and immunotherapies targeting tumors.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Oncology
- Genetics
Background:
- Cancer/Testis (C/T) antigens are expressed in most cancers and can trigger an immune response.
- These antigens are encoded by genes normally active only during male spermatogenesis.
- Their expression in somatic tumors is a biological anomaly, lacking a clear explanation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a novel hypothesis for the mechanism of C/T antigen gene activation in tumors.
- To investigate the role of the autosomal retrogene EIF2S3B in C/T antigen expression.
Main Methods:
- Hypothesis generation based on existing knowledge of C/T antigens and spermatogenesis.
- Analysis of gene expression patterns and genomic features related to EIF2S3B and EIF2S3.
Main Results:
- Aberrant activation of the autosomal retrogene EIF2S3B is proposed as the mechanism for C/T antigen expression in tumors.
- The non-sex specific pathway for spermatogenesis gene activation in tumors is linked to the unique copy number of EIF2S3 genes in the human genome.
Conclusions:
- The proposed hypothesis provides a potential explanation for the enigmatic expression of C/T antigens in various cancers.
- Understanding this mechanism could lead to the development of new cancer biomarkers and targeted immunotherapies.
Related Concept Videos
01:20The Retinoblastoma Gene
4.4K
Tumor suppressor genes are normal genes that can slow down cell division, repair DNA mistakes, or program the cells for apoptosis in case of irreparable damage. Hence, they play an essential role in preventing the proliferation of damaged cells.
The first-ever tumor suppressor gene called Rb was identified in retinoblastoma - a rare eye tumor in children. In inherited forms of the disease, a child inherits one defective copy of the Rb gene, which predisposes them to retinoblastoma. However,...
The first-ever tumor suppressor gene called Rb was identified in retinoblastoma - a rare eye tumor in children. In inherited forms of the disease, a child inherits one defective copy of the Rb gene, which predisposes them to retinoblastoma. However,...
4.4K
03:18Non-LTR Retrotransposons
12.7K
As the name suggests, non-LTR retrotransposons lack the long terminal repeats characteristic of the LTR retrotransposons. Additionally, both LTR and non-LTR retrotransposons use distinct mechanisms of mobilization. Non-LTR retrotransposons are further divided into two classes - Long interspersed nuclear elements (LINEs) and short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs), both of which occur abundantly in most mammals, including humans. Some of the active non-LTR retrotransposons in humans are L1...
12.7K
02:38Mitogens and the Cell Cycle
7.4K
Mitogens and their receptors play a crucial role in controlling the progression of the cell cycle. However, the loss of mitogenic control over cell division leads to tumor formation. Therefore, mitogens and mitogen receptors play an important role in cancer research. For instance, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) - a type of mitogen and its transmembrane receptor (EGFR), decides the fate of the cell's proliferation. When EGF binds to EGFR, a member of the ErbB family of tyrosine kinase...
7.4K
03:03mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
4.1K
The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...
The mTOR pathway or the...
4.1K
01:03Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer
5.8K
Rous Sarcoma virus or RSV was discovered by F. Peyton Rous in the year 1911 as a filterable transmissible agent that could cause tumors in chickens. He won a Nobel Prize for this discovery in 1966. His experiments clearly demonstrated that some cancers could be caused by infectious agents and led to the discovery of many more cancer-causing viruses in animals as well as humans.
RSV is a retrovirus that contains two copies of a plus-strand RNA genome. Its genome consists of four main open...
RSV is a retrovirus that contains two copies of a plus-strand RNA genome. Its genome consists of four main open...
5.8K
02:23Abnormal Proliferation
4.9K
Under normal conditions, most adult cells remain in a non-proliferative state unless stimulated by internal or external factors to replace lost cells. Abnormal cell proliferation is a condition in which the cell's growth exceeds and is uncoordinated with normal cells. In such situations, cell division persists in the same excessive manner even after cessation of the stimuli, leading to persistent tumors. The tumor arises from the damaged cells that replicate to pass the damage to the...
4.9K