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. 2014 Jul 31;19(3):393–406. doi: 10.2478/s11658-014-0203-7

Oncofetal antigen/immature laminin receptor protein in pregnancy and cancer

Adel L Barsoum 1,2,✉, Paul O Schwarzenberger 1,2
PMCID: PMC6275639  PMID: 25082063

Abstract

The 37-kDa immature laminin receptor protein (iLRP) is a speciesconserved, universal immunogenic protein that is expressed in all thus-far examined embryonic and early fetal cells of inbred and outbred rodents. It has also been identified in human concepti. It is altered through normal maturation processes to become a non-immunogenic 67-kDa dimeric mature laminin receptor protein (mLRP) in mid-to late gestation in the mammalian fetus. This antigen ceases to be expressed as an active autoimmunogen in the full-term fetus and in the normal differentiating tissues and organs of the neonate or adult organism, apparently due to dimerization, but it is re-expressed as an immunogenic monomer in tumor cells. In this review, we highlight the known mechanisms of immune responses with particular emphasis on the possible role of the 37-kDa oncofetal antigen/immature laminin receptor (OFA/iLRP) in both pregnancy and cancer.

Keywords: Cancer, Galectins, Immature laminin receptor, Oncofetal antigen, Pregnancy

Full Text

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Abbreviations used

APC

antigen processing cell

CTL

cytotoxic T lymphocyte

DC

dendritic cell

DMBA

2,4-dimethoxybenzaldehyde

FasL

Fas ligand

Gal

galectin

IFN

interferon

IL

interleuken

iLRP

immature laminin receptor protein

MHC

major histocompatibility complex

mLRP

mature laminin receptor protein

NK

natural killer

OFA

oncofetal antigen

Tc

T cytotoxic

TCR

T-cell receptor

TGF

transforming growth factor

Th

T helper

TNF

tumor necrosis factor

Treg

regulatory T cells

Ts

T suppressor

TSTA

tumor-specific transplantation antigen

Footnotes

In Memory of Professors Joseph H. Coggin and James W. Rohrer

Invited paper

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