N. Harashima et al., Recognition of the Lck tyrosine kinase as a tumor antigen by cytotoxic T lymphocytes of cancer patients with distant metastases, EUR J IMMUN, 31(2), 2001, pp. 323-332
The Lck protein (p56(lck)), a src family tyrosine kinase that is essential
for T cell development and function, is aberrantly expressed in metastatic
colon cancers. p56(lck) seems to facilitate the malignant transformation of
epithelial cells through initiation of anchorage-independent proliferation
. We demonstrate that the lck gene encodes antigenic epitopes recognized by
the HLA class I-restricted and tumor-specific CTL of metastatic cancer pat
ients. Lck peptides augmented CTL activity in peripheral blood mononuclear
cells (PBMC) of colon and other epithelial cancer patients with distant met
astases, but not those without distant metastases. CTL precursors recognizi
ng the Lck peptide were identified in freshly prepared PBMC of patients wit
h distant metastases, and their frequency was significantly augmented by st
imulation with the peptide. Thus, Lck peptides could be useful in developin
g a specific immunotherapy for cancer patients with distant metastases.