Kita-Kyushu Lung Cancer Antigen-1 (KK-LC-1): A Promising Cancer Testis Antigen

Abstract

Cancer has always been a huge problem in the field of human health, and its early diagnosis and treatment are the key to solving this problem. Cancer testis antigens (CTAs) are a family of multifunctional proteins that are specifically expressed in male spermatozoa and tumor cells but not in healthy somatic cells. Studies have found that CTAs are involved in the occurrence and development of tumors, and some CTAs trigger immunogenicity, which suggests a possibility of tumor immunotherapy. The differential expression and function of CTAs in normal tissues and tumor cells can promote the screening of tumor markers and the development of new immunotherapies. This article introduces the expression of Kita-Kyushu lung cancer antigen-1 (KK-LC-1), a new member of the CTA family, in different types of tumors and its role in immunotherapy.

Keywords: Cancer testis antigen; Carcinogenesis; Immune target; Immunotherapy; KK-LC-1.

Figure 1.

Targeting KK-LC-1 for effective cancer immunotherapy. The strategies for effective cancer immunotherapy focused on KK-LC-1 include vaccines, photodynamic therapy, and TCR-T cells. The mechanism of CTA reactivation may be DNA methylation and histone modification.