Various cancer cell surface antigens

The term "various cancer cell surface antigens" encompasses a **heterogeneous collection of proteins, glycoproteins, glycolipids, and other molecules present on the surface of cancer cells**, some of which are unique to malignant cells ("tumor-specific antigens"), while others are also found at lower levels in normal tissues ("tumor-associated antigens")[1][4][5]. They can include differentiation antigens, mutated proteins, oncofetal proteins, cancer-testis antigens, clusters of differentiation (e.g., CD19, CD20), growth factor receptors (e.g., HER2/ERBB2, EGFR), and more. These antigens are critical to the development of many modern cancer therapies such as monoclonal antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates, CAR-T cell therapies, and vaccines. However, because this descriptor does not denote a single entity but rather a class of molecules, it is **not suited to serve as a single "canonical" therapeutic target**; each specific antigen under this umbrella must be individually defined for precise research or clinical application[2][5][7].

Other names

cancer cell surface antigentumor-associated antigentumor-specific antigencancer antigen

Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC; for monoclonal antibodies); Blockade of oncogenic signaling (for receptor targets); Delivery of cytotoxic payloads (antibody-drug conjugates); Immune cell redirection (CAR-T, bispecific antibodies); Immune checkpoint modulation