Oncofetal antigen

Article By:

Cohen, Zoë Department of Blood Transfusion Medicine Research, Saint Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Chu, T. Ming Roswell Park Memorial Institute, Buffalo, New York.

Last reviewed:August 2021

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.468900

A small protein or carbohydrate (capable of stimulating an immune response) that is present in normal fetal tissue during early development, but also is abnormally expressed by adult tumors. Oncofetal antigens (see illustration), primarily glycoprotein in nature and produced by cancerous cells, are the products of one or more genes that normally are expressed only during fetal development and then are repressed in adult life. Production of these proteins in association with cancer as a result of activation of control genes, by unknown mechanisms, has been termed retrogenetic expression. Advances in tumor immunology have enabled the use of oncofetal antigens in both the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. In particular, fetal antigens in adult body fluids can serve as tumor markers for the detection of early oncogenic processes and can aid in monitoring the efficiency of cancer treatments. In addition, the analysis of oncofetal antigens has been important in the development of new treatment modalities. It also is important to mention that oncofetal antigens are different from tumor-associated antigens, which are found only in tumors and have no role in development. See also: Antigen; Cancer; Gene; Glycoprotein; Immunology; Oncology; Tumor

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