Immunological Cross-reactivity of Antigens common to Tumour and Foetal Cells

• DOI: 10.1038/240041a0
• Publication Date: 2005-08-02T09:01:36Z
• Authors: F. A. SALINAS; JANE A. SMITH; M. G. HANNA
• Keywords: Carcinoembryonic antigen

THERE has been a resurgence of interest and activity related to tumour-associated foetal substances1–3. It is not yet clear whether the various foetal or carcinoembryonic systems represent de novo synthesis characteristic of foetal or neoplastic states or whether they simply represent unmasked structural complexes of the cell membrane. We presented evidence suggesting that spleen cells infected with RNA tumour virus, as well as a transplantable plasma-cell tumour (PCT), possessed foetal antigen4,5. The protection afforded by foetal-antigen immunization in these systems agrees with recent findings for tumours induced by DNA viruses in hamsters6–9. The effect of foetal-antigen immunization on the growth of PCT was considered important since it has been demonstrated10 that this particular transplantable tumour possessed a high level of foetal-type tRNA suggesting that the altered gene groups in the PCT line direct production in the tumour cells of embryonic or foetal antigens that cross-react with foetal-antigen-induced antibody.