Does tumor endothelial marker 8 enhance tumor immunity in conjunction with immunization against differentiation Ag?
A local immune response to TEM8 may increase inflammation or tumor necrosis within the tumor, resulting in improved Ag presentation of HER2/neu and hTYRP1/hgp75. Alternatively, TEM8 expression in host APC may alter T-cell interactions or homing. In this way, TEM8 may act more as an adjuvant than an immunologic target.
Repeated exposure of mast cells to gradually increasing amounts of antigen induces their refractoriness. This observation would suggest a role for mast cells in rush desensitization procedure in vivo. Our coculture system may serve as a useful model for studying this process.