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Cancer Immunol Immunother (2013) 62:191195
DOI 10.1007/s00262-012-1376-4
SHORT COMMUNICATION
MAGE-C1/CT7 and MAGE-C2/CT10 are frequently expressed in multiple myeloma and can be explored in combined immunotherapy for this malignancy
Fabricio de Carvalho Veruska L. F. Alves
Walter M. T. Braga Celso V. Xavier Jr.
Gisele W. B. Colleoni
Received: 7 August 2012 / Accepted: 7 November 2012 / Published online: 22 November 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2012
Abstract The exact function of MAGE-C1/CT7 and MAGE-C2/CT10 is not yet understood in multiple myeloma (MM). However, the homologs MAGE-C1/CT7 and MAGE-C2/CT10 genes encode highly immunogeneic cancer/testis antigens (CTAs) and can be potential targets for T cell-based immunotherapy. MAGE-C1/CT7 and MAGE-C2/CT10 mRNA expression were investigated in MM patients, solitary plasmacytomas, monoclonal gammopathies of undetermined signicance (MGUS) and bone marrow (BM) aspirates from healthy donors by RT-PCR. MAGE-C1/CT7 and MAGE-C1/CT10 were expressed in 67 and 59 % of the 46 MM analyzed patients. At least one of the genes was expressed in 76 % of MM cases. Solitary plasmacytoma also showed MAGE-C1/CT7 and MAGE-C2/CT10 expression. MAGE-C1/CT7 and MAGE-C2/CT10 were not expressed in normal BM samples, showing restricted expression of these CTA genes in MM, solitary plasmacytoma and MGUS. In the present study, we found high expression of the homologs MAGE-C1/CT7 and MAGE-C2/CT10 in monoclonal gammopathies and speculate whether these genes might represent a valuable therapeutic option for myeloma, in particular for combined immunotherapy.
Keywords MAGE-C1/CT7 MAGE-C2/CT10
Cancer/testis antigen Conventional RT-PCR
Monoclonal gammopathies
Introduction
Multiple myeloma (MM) is a malignant proliferation of B-cells with plasma cell differentiation [1]. MM accounts for 10 % of all blood malignancies and 1 % of all cancers. The number of new cases diagnosed each year with MM in the United States is approximately 20,000 cases [2, 3]. MM is considered incurable, with median overall survival of 78 years, after the recent advances in chemotherapy and autologous stem cells transplant [4]. In MM, distinct clinical phases can be recognized, including monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined signicance (MGUS) and solitary plasmacytoma. Although these other monoclonal gammopathies do not present the same clinical features of MM, they share some genetic features of myeloma [5].
There are evidences that small fractions of myeloma cells survive after treatment, remaining undetected by conventional methods and being responsible for recurrence of disease. These...