Expression of ganglioside GD2 on colorectal adenocarcinoma cells

Using flow cytometry GD2 ganglioside expression was evaluated both on colorectal adenocarcinoma cell lines and on tumor tissue samples from colorectal cancer patients. The marker was found on EpCAM-positive tumor cells in 6 of 12 patients' samples but not on the HT29 and CaCo-2 cell lines. GD2 expression was not an exceptional feature of cancer stem cells, since its expression level was similar on CD133-positive and CD133-negative tumor cells. Thus, the presence of GD2 ganglioside was revealed on colorectal adenocarcinoma cells for the first time. This finding makes it possible to use targeted therapy to treat this disease.

TargetingO-Acetyl-GD2 Ganglioside for Cancer Immunotherapy

Target selection is a key feature in cancer immunotherapy, a promising field in cancer research. In this respect, gangliosides, a broad family of structurally related glycolipids, were suggested as potential targets for cancer immunotherapy based on their higher abundance in tumors when compared with the matched normal tissues. GD2 is the first ganglioside proven to be an effective target antigen for cancer immunotherapy with the regulatory approval of dinutuximab, a chimeric anti-GD2 therapeutic antibody. Although the therapeutic efficacy of anti-GD2 monoclonal antibodies is well documented, neuropathic pain may limit its application.O-Acetyl-GD2, theO-acetylated-derivative of GD2, has recently received attention as novel antigen to target GD2-positive cancers. The present paper examines the role ofO-acetyl-GD2 in tumor biology as well as the available preclinical data of anti-O-acetyl-GD2 monoclonal antibodies. A discussion on the relevance ofO-acetyl-GD2 in chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy development is also included.