Abstract
<div>Abstract<p>Neoplastic lesions typically express specific carbohydrate antigens on glycolipids, mucins, and other glycoproteins. Such antigens are often under epigenetic control and are subject to reversion and loss upon therapeutic selective pressure. We report here that two of the most common tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens, Tn and sialyl Tn (STn), result from somatic mutations in the gene <i>Cosmc</i> that encodes a molecular chaperone required for formation of the active T-synthase. Diverse neoplastic lesions, including colon cancer and melanoma-derived cells lines, expressed both Tn and STn antigen due to loss-of-function mutations in <i>Cosmc</i>. In addition, two human cervical cancer specimens that showed expression of the Tn/STn antigens were also found to have mutations in <i>Cosmc</i> and loss of heterozygosity for the cross-linked <i>Cosmc</i> locus. This is the first example of somatic mutations in multiple types of cancers that cause global alterations in cell surface carbohydrate antigen expression. [Cancer Res 2008;68(6):1636–46]</p></div>
Published Version
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