This gene encodes an antigen that is predominantly expressed in human
melanomas and that is recognized by cytolytic
T lymphocytes. It is not expressed in normal tissues, except testis. This expression pattern is similar to that of other
CT antigens, such as
MAGE,
BAGE and
GAGE. However, unlike these other CT antigens, this gene is also expressed in acute
leukemias. The overexpression of PRAME in tumor tissues and relative low levels in normal somatic tissues make it an attractive target for cancer therapy. In recent years, immunotherapy has spearheaded a new era of cancer therapy resulting in the development of numerous novel antigen-specific immunotherapy approaches. Studies on PRAME-specific immunotherapy primarily involve vaccines and cellular immunotherapies. PRAME can inhibit
retinoic acid signaling and retinoic acid mediated
differentiation and
apoptosis. PRAME overexpression in triple negative breast cancer has also been found to promote cancer cell motility through induction of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. == References ==