Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2011 Nov 8;29(48):8802-26.
doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2011.09.009. Epub 2011 Oct 1.

Cancer vaccines and carbohydrate epitopes

Jamie Heimburg-Molinaro  1 , Michelle Lum, Geraldine Vijay, Miten Jain, Adel Almogren, Kate Rittenhouse-Olson
Affiliations
Review

Cancer vaccines and carbohydrate epitopes

Jamie Heimburg-Molinaro et al. Vaccine. .

Abstract

Tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens (TACA) result from the aberrant glycosylation that is seen with transformation to a tumor cell. The carbohydrate antigens that have been found to be tumor-associated include the mucin related Tn, Sialyl Tn, and Thomsen-Friedenreich antigens, the blood group Lewis related Lewis(Y), Sialyl Lewis(X) and Sialyl Lewis(A), and Lewis(X) (also known as stage-specific embryonic antigen-1, SSEA-1), the glycosphingolipids Globo H and stage-specific embryonic antigen-3 (SSEA-3), the sialic acid containing glycosphingolipids, the gangliosides GD2, GD3, GM2, fucosyl GM1, and Neu5GcGM3, and polysialic acid. Recent developments have furthered our understanding of the T-independent type II response that is seen in response to carbohydrate antigens. The selection of a vaccine target antigen is based on not only the presence of the antigen in a variety of tumor tissues but also on the role this antigen plays in tumor growth and metastasis. These roles for TACAs are being elucidated. Newly acquired knowledge in understanding the T-independent immune response and in understanding the key roles that carbohydrates play in metastasis are being applied in attempts to develop an effective vaccine response to TACAs. The role of each of the above mentioned carbohydrate antigens in cancer growth and metastasis and vaccine attempts using these antigens will be described.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Figure 1a. Structures of the mucin carbohydrate antigens Tn, Sialyl Tn, and TF, and the Lewis blood group related antigens LewisY, Sialyl LewisX and Sialyl LewisA, and LewisX. Figure 1b. Structures of the glycosphingolipids, the globo series Globo H and SSEA-3 and the gangliosides GM2, GD2, GD3 and Fucosyl GM1. Figure 1c. Structures of the additional sialic acid containing compounds. NeuGcGM3 and polysialic acid
Figure 1
Figure 1
Figure 1a. Structures of the mucin carbohydrate antigens Tn, Sialyl Tn, and TF, and the Lewis blood group related antigens LewisY, Sialyl LewisX and Sialyl LewisA, and LewisX. Figure 1b. Structures of the glycosphingolipids, the globo series Globo H and SSEA-3 and the gangliosides GM2, GD2, GD3 and Fucosyl GM1. Figure 1c. Structures of the additional sialic acid containing compounds. NeuGcGM3 and polysialic acid
Figure 1
Figure 1
Figure 1a. Structures of the mucin carbohydrate antigens Tn, Sialyl Tn, and TF, and the Lewis blood group related antigens LewisY, Sialyl LewisX and Sialyl LewisA, and LewisX. Figure 1b. Structures of the glycosphingolipids, the globo series Globo H and SSEA-3 and the gangliosides GM2, GD2, GD3 and Fucosyl GM1. Figure 1c. Structures of the additional sialic acid containing compounds. NeuGcGM3 and polysialic acid
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Davis ID, Jefford M, Parente P, Cebon J. Rational approaches to human cancer immunotherapy. Journal of Leukocyte Biology. 2003;73:3–29. - PubMed
    1. Coley WB. The treatment of malignant tumors by repeated inoculations of erysipelas: with a report of ten original cases. Am J Med Sci. 1893;105:487–511. - PubMed
    1. Starnes CO. Coley’s toxins in perspective. Nature. 1992;357:11–12. - PubMed
    1. The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Coley Toxins Detailed Scientific Review. [Accessed 5/8/11]; http://www.mdanderson.org/education-and-research/resources-for-professio....
    1. Silverstein AM. Chapter 11 Transplantation and Immunogenetics. In: Silverstein AM, editor. A History of Immunology. New York: Elsevier Academic Press; 2009.

Publication types