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The antiapoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family Mcl-1 is a CTL target in cancer patients

Leukemia volume 19, pages 484–485 (2005)Cite this article

TO THE EDITOR

We recently identified spontaneous T-cell responses against Bcl-2-derived peptides in patients suffering from cancers of different origin.1 Myeloid cell factor-1 (Mcl-1) is a death-inhibiting member of the Bcl-2 family that is expressed in early monocyte differentiation and can promote viability on transfection into immature myeloid cells. Mcl-1 in transgenic mice promotes survival in a spectrum of hematopoietic cell types and immortalization of myeloid cells.2 Elevated levels of Mcl-1 have been reported for a number of human cancers including prostate cancers,3 pancreatic cancers, melanoma, breast cancers, ovarian cancer patients, and cervical cancer, as well as B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) and in AML and ALL upon relapse.4,5,6 In B-CLL patients, higher levels of Mcl-1 are strongly correlated with failure to achieve complete remission after single-agent therapy. In multiple myeloma, Mcl-1 plays an important role in the survival of malignant cells.7 In this regard, it has been demonstrated that mice expressing an mcl-1 transgene under the control of its own promoter develop B-cell neoplasias with high frequency, ranging from follicular lymphoma to diffuse large-cell lymphoma.8 Thus, the overexpression of Mcl-1 in many cancers of different origin and the fact that immune escape by downregulation or loss of expression of this protein would impair sustained tumor cell growth highlight Mcl-1 as a very attractive target for immunotherapy of cancer.

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References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tumor Immunology Group, Institute of Cancer Biology, Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen, Denmark

    M H Andersen & P thor Straten

  2. Department of Dermatology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany

    J C Becker

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  1. M H Andersen
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  2. J C Becker
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  3. P thor Straten
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Correspondence to M H Andersen.

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Andersen, M., Becker, J. & thor Straten, P. The antiapoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family Mcl-1 is a CTL target in cancer patients. Leukemia 19, 484–485 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2403621

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