Carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 5 (CEA) (CEA)

Carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 5 (CEACAM5), commonly known as CEA, is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored cell surface glycoprotein that functions as a calcium-independent cell adhesion molecule and is involved in the inhibition of apoptosis in cancer cells (UniProt P06731). While its expression is limited in healthy adult tissues, it is highly upregulated in various epithelial malignancies, including colorectal, pancreatic, and lung cancers, making it a key tumor-associated antigen (TAA) for immunotherapy (PubMed: 15681516). Recombinant fowlpox-CEA-TRICOM (rF-CEA-TRICOM) is a viral vector-based therapeutic vaccine designed to induce an immune response against CEA-expressing tumors. The vaccine utilizes a replication-defective fowlpox virus vector to deliver the gene for CEA along with a triad of costimulatory molecules (TRICOM): B7-1 (CD80), ICAM-1 (CD54), and LFA-3 (CD58) (PubMed: 10566430). This combination is intended to enhance the activation of T-cells by providing both the primary antigenic signal and the necessary secondary costimulatory signals, thereby overcoming the immune tolerance often associated with self-antigens in cancer patients (NCI Drug Dictionary).

Other names

CEACEACAM5CD66eCarcinoembryonic antigenMeconium antigen 100

The vaccine delivers the CEA antigen and a triad of costimulatory molecules (B7-1, ICAM-1, LFA-3) to antigen-presenting cells, which then activate CEA-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells to recognize and destroy CEA-positive tumor cells (PubMed: 15681516).