Identification of B cell epitopes recognized by antibodies specific for the tumor antigen NY-ESO-1 in cancer patients with spontaneous immune responses

Expression of the germ line antigen NY-ESO-1 in adult somatic tissues other than testis is strictly found in association with cancer. Patients bearing NY-ESO-1 expressing tumors often develop integrated specific immune responses to the antigen, encompassing T cell and antibody responses. Hence, detection of NY-ESO-1 specific antibody responses can be considered as a cancer biomarker of great interest. Here, we used synthetic peptides spanning the sequence of the NY-ESO-1 protein to assess antibody responses in cancer patients. This approach allowed the identification of peptides containing linear B cell epitopes. Some peptides were recognized by the majority of seropositive patients thus identifying several distinct regions of the protein containing frequently recognized B cell epitopes. The results of this study provide the first appraisal of the diversity of naturally-occurring NY-ESO-1 specific antibodies and could be instrumental in the monitoring of therapy-induced antibody responses in cancer patients receiving NY-ESO-1-based vaccines.