MAGE A4 (Melanoma Antigen Gene A4) is a cancer testis antigen (CTA) that is expressed normally in germline cells (testis/embryonic tissues) but absent in somatic cells. The MAGE A4 CTA is expressed in a variety of tumor types, like synovial sarcoma, ovarian cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. Having its expression profile limited to germline cells has made MAGE A4 a sought-after immunotherapeutic target in certain malignancies. In this review, we focus on MAGE-A4’s function and expression, current clinical trials involving targeted immunotherapy approaches, and challenges and opportunities facing MAGE-A4’s targeted therapeutics.
MAGE A4(黑色素瘤抗原基因A4)是一种癌睾抗原,通常在生殖细胞(睾丸/胚胎组织)中表达,但在体细胞中不表达。该抗原在多种肿瘤类型中均有表达,如滑膜肉瘤、卵巢癌和非小细胞肺癌。由于其表达谱仅限于生殖细胞,MAGE A4已成为某些恶性肿瘤中备受关注的免疫治疗靶点。本文综述将聚焦于MAGE-A4的功能与表达特征、当前靶向免疫治疗相关的临床试验,以及该靶向疗法面临的挑战与机遇。