Researchers at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute have found that the expression of a unique class of tumor-associated antigens, MAGE cancer-testis antigens (CTAs), correlates with clinical outcomes in epithelial ovarian cancer. Based on their findings, the researchers have identified priority targets for the development of ovarian cancer immunotherapy. Epithelial ovarian cancer is the deadliest cancer in women, with an 85 percent recurrence rate. The MAGE family of proteins is a class of CTAs that may serve as targets for immunotherapy of ovarian cancer and other cancers. In order to obtain important targets that can be used in ovarian cancer immunotherapy, it is critical to determine the extent of expression of the CTAs molecular family in tumor cells. Study author Dr. Odunsi and colleagues screened the expression patterns of five MAGE molecules in 400 ovarian cancer tissue samples. Patient immune responses were analyzed by determining whether the antibodies present in 285 serum samples were recognized by the same five molecules. Their results showed that abnormal expression of MAGE-A1 was present in 15% of epithelial ovarian cancers, MAGE-A3 in 36% of epithelial ovarian cancers, MAGE-A4 in 47% of epithelial ovarian cancers, and MAGE-A10 in 52% of epithelial ovarian cancers, in contrast to MAGE-C1/ CT7 in The expression of MAGE-A10 was present in 52% of epithelial ovarian cancers, and the expression of MAGE-C1/CT7 was present in 16% of epithelial ovarian cancers. Approximately 78% of ovarian tumor tissues expressed at least one of these five CTAs. The researchers also noted strong co-expression relationships between MAGE-A1 and MAGE-A4, MAGE-A1 and MAGE-C1, and MAGE-A4 and MAGE-A10. expression of MAGE-A1 and MAGE-A10 was associated with poorer progression-free survival, while expression of MAGE-C1/CT7 was associated with improved progression-free survival. According to Dr. Odunsi: These results suggest that MAGE-A1, MAGE-A10 and MAGE-C1 are possible prognostic factors for ovarian cancer. The Parker Cancer Institute is actively translating the results of current laboratory discoveries of MAGE CTAs into clinical studies to design potential treatment options for ovarian cancer or other cancers that express MAGE molecules, including melanoma and breast cancer. Currently, the study is published in PLOS One.