Thomsen-Friedenreich antigen (TF antigen) (TF antigen)

The Thomsen-Friedenreich (TF) antigen, also known as CD176, is a well-characterized tumor-associated carbohydrate antigen (TACA) consisting of the disaccharide Galβ1-3GalNAcα1-O-Ser/Thr (Springer, 1984, PubMed: 6373558). In healthy tissues, this structure is a cryptic intermediate in O-glycan biosynthesis, typically masked by further elongation or sialylation. However, in approximately 80% of human carcinomas, including breast, colon, and prostate cancers, the TF antigen is overexpressed and exposed on the cell surface due to aberrant glycosylation (Heimburg-Molinaro et al., 2011, PubMed: 21827374). This exposure facilitates cancer cell adhesion to the vascular endothelium through interactions with galectin-3, promoting metastatic spread (Rittenhouse-Olson, 2007, PubMed: 17634284). As a result, the TF antigen is a prime target for therapeutic interventions, including monoclonal antibodies like hJAA-F11 and carbohydrate-based vaccines like TF-KLH, which aim to induce immune-mediated destruction of tumor cells or block metastatic pathways. Clinical development of these agents focuses on their ability to selectively bind the tumor-associated form of the antigen while sparing normal tissues where the glycan remains hidden.

Other names

T antigenCD176Gal-GalNAcCore 1 O-glycanGalactose-beta-1,3-N-acetylgalactosamineGalβ1-3GalNAcα1-Ser/Thr

Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), Complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC), and inhibition of tumor cell adhesion to the endothelium by blocking galectin-3 interactions.