Identification Of Fibroblast Growth Factor-5 As An Overexpressed Antigen In Multiple Human Adenocarcinomas

Methodology for identifying tumor-associated antigens recognized by T cells has been successfully used to clone antigens from melanoma cells. Similar efforts for nonmelanoma tumors have had limited success with few antigens identified. To identify potentially relevant tumor-associated antigens expressed in renal cell carcinoma cell lines, a tamer-specific CTL done was established from tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes from a regressing pulmonary lesion, This CTL recognized nonmutated fibroblast growth factor-5 (FGF-5), Quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR revealed that FGF-5 was overexpressed in the majority of renal cell carcinomas, as well as in some prostate carcinoma and breast carcinoma lines, FGF-5 expression by quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR in normal tissues was below the recognition threshold for this CTL, As a normal protein with significant overexpression by multiple adenocarcinomas and little normal tissue expression, FGF-5 represents an immunotherapy target with potential utility against a broad array of nonmelanoma cancers.