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NY-ESO-1: A Cancer/Testis Antigen with High Immunogenic Potential

Overview & Biology

New York Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma-1 (NY-ESO-1) belongs to the family of cancer/testis antigens (CTAs) – a subtype of Tumor-associated Antigens (TAAs). Cancer/testis antigens are normally expressed in germ cells of the testis and placental cells, but can aberrantly be re-expressed in various tumors. Such re-expression lacks immune privilege and can trigger adaptive immune responses. Their strong immunogenicity and tumor-specific expression make cancer/testis antigens high-priority targets for cancer immunotherapy. [1] 

Key features of NY-ESO-1, also known as cancer-testis antigen 1B (CTAG1B):

  • Its expression is typically absent in most normal tissues, which helps reduce the risk of off-target effects in immunotherapy.
  • NY-ESO-1 is considered among the most immunogenic cancer/testis antigens, eliciting spontaneous humoral (antibody) and cellular (T cell) responses in patients with NY-ESO-1–expressing tumors.
  • Its re-expression in tumors is thought to be governed by epigenetic mechanisms, such as CpG demethylation.

Overview & Biology

New York Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma-1 (NY-ESO-1) belongs to the family of cancer/testis antigens (CTAs) – a subtype of Tumor-associated Antigens (TAAs). Cancer/testis antigens are normally expressed in germ cells of the testis and placental cells, but can aberrantly be re-expressed in various tumors. Such re-expression lacks immune privilege and can trigger adaptive immune responses. Their strong immunogenicity and tumor-specific expression make cancer/testis antigens high-priority targets for cancer immunotherapy. [1] 

Key features of NY-ESO-1, also known as cancer-testis antigen 1B (CTAG1B):

  • Its expression is typically absent in most normal tissues, which helps reduce the risk of off-target effects in immunotherapy.
  • NY-ESO-1 is considered among the most immunogenic cancer/testis antigens, eliciting spontaneous humoral (antibody) and cellular (T cell) responses in patients with NY-ESO-1–expressing tumors.
  • Its re-expression in tumors is thought to be governed by epigenetic mechanisms, such as CpG demethylation.
Scientific illustration of Cancer-Testis Antigens (CTAs) expression on tumor cells for targeted immunotherapy.

Expression & Clinical Relevance

NY-ESO-1 is detected in a range of cancer types, including melanoma, lung, ovarian, esophageal, breast, bladder, and prostate cancers. In some tumor subtypes, NY-ESO-1 positivity correlates with higher infiltration of CD8⁺ T cells or stronger immune signatures. NY-ESO-1 has been a favored target in cancer immunotherapy, including vaccines, adoptive T cell therapies, and combination strategies with checkpoint inhibitors.

Structure

NY-ESO-1 is a small protein made up of 180 amino acids. It has two distinct regions: one at the N-terminal that is rich in glycine, and another at the C-terminal that is very hydrophobic and includes the domain Pcc-1. NY-ESO-1 is homologous to another cancer/testis antigen, LAGE-1, which is located in the same region of the genome. The isoform with the UniProt-ID P78358-1 has been chosen as the canonical sequence of NY-ESO-1:

MQAEGRGTGGSTGDADGPGGPGIPDGPGGNAGGPGEAGATGGRGPRGAGAARASGPGGGAPRGPHGGAASGLNGCCRCGARGPESRLLEFYLAMPFATPMEAELARRSLAQDAPPLPVPGVLLKEFTVSGNILTIRLTAADHRQLQLSISSCLQQLSLLMWITQCFLPVFLAQPPSGQRR

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NY-ESO-1 Peptides and Peptide Pools

Why a Peptide Pool?

  • A peptide pool spanning the full NY-ESO-1 sequence allows broad coverage of epitopes across diverse HLA molecules (CD4 and CD8 T cell epitopes).
  • Synthetic peptides are easier to standardize, easier to manipulate via specific modifications, and safer than using entire proteins.

peptides&elephants offers the Human NY-ESO-1 Peptide Pool, which is frequently used in antigen-specific T cell stimulation, immune monitoring assays, and the expansion of T cells in research settings.

To meet the demands of high-precision immunology, peptides&elephants also provides the NY-ESO-1 Sub Peptide Pool (>95% HPLC purity). This specialized selection comprises 5 key peptides derived from NY-ESO-1: NY-ESO-1 94-102, NY-ESO-1 127-136, NY-ESO-1 157-165, NY-ESO-1 157-165 mutant 165V and NY-ESO-1 158-166.

Individual NY-ESO-1 epitopes

peptides&elephants also offers individual NY-ESO-1 epitopes for more targeted experiments:

Canonical sequence of NY-ESO-1 and overview over peptides&elephants' NY-ESO-1 peptides and peptide pools
Canonical sequence of NY-ESO-1 and overview over peptides&elephants' NY-ESO-1 peptides and peptide pools
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Applications & Strategies

Application Description
Epitope Mapping & Discovery Use overlapping peptide pools to screen which peptide fragments are recognized by patient or experimental T cells.
Immune Monitoring Track NY-ESO-1–specific T cell responses over time in patients or model systems.
Cancer Vaccines & Immunotherapy Research Use NY-ESO-1 peptides to elicit or boost anti-tumor T cell responses.
T Cell Expansion (ex vivo) Stimulate and expand T cells specific to NY-ESO-1 epitopes for research or adoptive immunotherapy.

 

Application Description
Epitope Mapping & Discovery Use overlapping peptide pools to screen which peptide fragments are recognized by patient or experimental T cells.
Immune Monitoring Track NY-ESO-1–specific T cell responses over time in patients or model systems.
Cancer Vaccines & Immunotherapy Research Use NY-ESO-1 peptides to elicit or boost anti-tumor T cell responses.
T Cell Expansion (ex vivo) Stimulate and expand T cells specific to NY-ESO-1 epitopes for research or adoptive immunotherapy.

 

Literature

  1. Liu, Zaoqu et al. “A New Trend in Cancer Treatment: The Combination of Epigenetics and Immunotherapy.” Frontiers in immunology vol. 13 809761. 24 Jan. 2022, doi:10.3389/fimmu.2022.809761
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