Analysis of cancer testis antigens containing BORIS in oral cancer cell lines

抄録

Cancer testis antigens (CTA) are a group of normal testicular proteins. Although their expression appears in cancer cells, it does not appear in somatic cells with the exception of male germ cells. Consequently CTAs are immunogenic in cancer patients, and considered promising target molecules for cancer vaccines. In CTAs, brother of the regulator of imprinted sites (BORIS), which is also known as CCCTC-binding factor-like (CTCFL), is an epigenetic-acting oncogene that supresses the tumor inhibitor functions of CTCF. For this reason, BORIS is thought to be an ideal molecular target for drugs against various cancers. In order to detect CTAs in oral cancer, we used the methylation pattern to select six genes containing BORIS, ACTL7B, PPP3R2, SYCP1, DAZL, and TAF7L. We then analyzed the expression of these genes in oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines and various mice organs. Expression of only BORIS in these genes was detectable in SAS, HSC-3 and HSC-4. Boris expression in adult mice was restricted to the testes. These findings imply that BORIS might be the target of immunotherapy for oral cancer.