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Target intelligence / Profile preview
Thomsen–Friedenreich antigen (TF antigen)
- Target
- TF antigen
- Molecular classification
- Carbohydrate antigen, Tumor-associated carbohydrate antigen (TACA), Glycan epitope
01
Overview
The Thomsen–Friedenreich antigen (TF antigen) is a disaccharide carbohydrate structure with the sequence Galβ1–3GalNAcα1–Ser/Thr. It is normally cryptic on healthy adult tissues but becomes exposed and highly expressed on the surface of many carcinoma cells due to altered glycosylation patterns. This makes it one of the most common tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens (TACAs). The TF antigen plays roles in cell adhesion and cell-cell interactions by serving as a ligand for galectins and other lectins. Its aberrant exposure is associated with increased metastatic potential in cancer cells. Because of its restricted expression pattern in normal tissues versus tumors, it has been widely studied as a diagnostic marker and therapeutic target—especially for antibody-based therapies or cancer vaccines aiming to exploit its tumor specificity.
- Other names
- T-antigenCD176Core 1 O-glycan structureGalβ1-3GalNAcα1-Ser/Thr
02
Mechanism of action
Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) via anti-TF antibodies
03
Biological functions
Cell adhesion modulationCell-cell recognition
04
Disease associations
Cancer (notably carcinomas such as breast, colon, prostate)
05
Safety considerations
Potential off-tumor effects due to low-level expression in some normal tissuesImmunogenicity concerns with therapeutic targeting.
06
Interacting drugs
No approved drugs directly target the TF antigen; however, experimental therapeutics include monoclonal antibodies and vaccine candidates targeting this epitope.
07
Biomarkers
Used as a biomarker for cancer diagnosis and prognosis in several epithelial cancers due to its aberrant expression on tumor cells.
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