Melanoma Associated Antigen

Melanoma associated antigen (MAA) gene is a proto-oncogene belonging to the cancer testis antigen family. Its expression products are only present in the placenta and testis, participating in various life activities such as embryonic development, germ cell production, and cell apoptosis regulation. MAA was initially discovered in melanoma cells and closely involved in the occurrence and development of melanoma. Some research suggested that MAA can resist the cytotoxic effect mediated by tumor necrosis factors to inhibit apoptosis, and hinder the binding of P53 to its promoter to down-regulate its transcription and prolongs the cell cycle. Meanwhile, MAA can be expressed in lung cancer, liver cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, renal cancer, bladder cancer, breast cancer and other malignant tumors, and is related to cell malignant transformation, which makes it become an indicator for the diagnosis of precancerous lesions and the prediction of tumor progression. In addition, cytotoxic T cells can recognize MAA and initiate immune response, so MAA can be an ideal target for tumor specific immunotherapy.