ABSTRACT
The concept that tumors express tumor specific or associated antigens and the potential role of these antigens in the immunotherapy of cancer are based primarily on studies of the immunogenicity of chemically induced sarcomas of inbred mice. The murine tumor specific or associated antigens, which are functional in transplantation rejection of tumors in syngeneic mice, are commonly referred to as tumor specific transplantation antigens (TSTA) or tumor rejection antigens. Numerous hypotheses have been proposed to account for the antigenic diversity of chemically induced sarcomas. In general, these hypotheses tend to involve qualitative and/or quantitative changes in the expression of cellular components on tumor cell. Highly enriched fractions of Meth A gp110 in addition to having restricted tumor rejection-inducing activity, also induced a cellular immune response detectable in an in vitro cell mediated cytotoxic assay against Meth A target cells. These results are consistent with the possibility that gp110 might well be a polymorphic TSTA.
