1 - Identification of Tumor-Specific Genes

This chapter discusses the identification of tumor-specific genes. Tumors result from the perturbation of processes that control the normal growth, localization, and mortality of cells. The loss of normal control mechanisms arises from the acquisition of mutation in three broad categories of genes— namely, protooncogenes, tumor-suppressor genes, and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) enzymes. There are two approaches used in the identification of tumor-associated antigens (TAAs): (1) use of the already existing immunologic response of a tumor patient to identify TAAs and (2) the combination of molecular biology and biochemistry, with immunologic characterization techniques. The first approach is based on the humoral (B cell) response or the cellular response and has the advantage that, from the beginning, it is known that an immune response against a TAA is possible. The second approach initially uses a more statistical setting that requires proof that the selected putative target proteins can be used for the generation of an immune response in patients. Some other approaches used for the identification based on patient immune response, such as serologic analysis of autologous tumor-associated Antigen, by recombinant complementary DNA (cDNA) expression cloning (SEREX), reverse immunology, such as transcription profiling, and by differential ribonucleic acid expression are also discussed in the chapter.