Exploitation of the B cell repertoire for the identification of human tumor antigens.

The screening of tumor-derived expression libraries for antigens that are detected by high-titer immunoglobulin G antibodies from the sera of patients with cancer using serological identification of antigens by recombinant expression cloning (SEREX) allows for the systematic search for antigens of human cancers. SEREX has led to the identification of a plentitude of new tumor antigens in many different tumor entities. These antigens, many of which are encoded by hitherto unknown genes, can be grouped into different classes. Serologically defined human tumor antigens facilitate the identification of antigenic peptides recognized by tumor-specific T lymphocytes, thus providing a molecular basis for polyvalent peptide-based and gene therapeutic vaccine strategies in a wide variety of human neoplasms. Finally, many of the antigens identified using SEREX seem to play a functional role in the pathogenesis of malignant disease.