update on cancer therapeutics 1 ( 2 0 0 6 ) 273–284 available at www.sciencedirect.com journal homepage: www.updateoncancer.com New approaches to identification of antigenic candidates for future prostate cancer immunotherapy Edward J. Dunphy, Laura E. Johnson, Brian M. Olson, Thomas P. Frye, Douglas G. McNeel * Departments of Medicine and Cancer Biology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States article info Keywords: Prostate cancer Immunotherapy Antigen Antibody Vaccine Lymphocyte Phage SEREX Abbreviations: AMACR, -methylacyl-CoA racemase; cDNA, complementary deoxyribonucleic acid; CTA, cancer-testis antigen(s); CTL, cytolytic T lymphocyte; ELISPOT, enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot assay; EpCAM, epithelial cell adhesion molecule; HLA, human leukocyte antigen; HPLC, high-pressure liquid chromatography; IFN, interferon-gamma; IL-X, interleukin-X; MALDI-TOF, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight; MHC, major histocompatibility complex (antigen); mRNA, messenger ribonucleic acid; PAP, prostatic acid phosphatase; PBMC, peripheral blood mononuclear cell(s); PCR, abstract Prostate cancer is currently the most commonly diagnosed malignancy, and the second leading cause of cancer-related death, of men in the United States. There is a great deal of interest in the development of molecularly targeted approaches, including immunothera- pies, to the treatment of prostate cancer. Immunotherapies can be broadly classified into passive and active treatments. Passive approaches generally involve the infusion of mono- clonal antibodies with specificity to a desired target antigen, or adoptive transfer of antigen- or tumor-specific lymphocytes. Vaccines represent an active immunotherapeutic approach in which the goal is to elicit, rather than exogenously supply, antigen-specific antibodies or lymphocytes. In this article, we review recent developments and methods for the identifi- cation of antigens for both passive and active immunotherapies. In addition, we highlight some of the current ongoing clinical applications of several of these approaches. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. * Correspondence to: Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin Comprehensive Cancer Center, K4/518 Clinical Science Center, 600 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53792, United States. Tel.: +1 608 265 8131; fax: +1 608 265 8133. E-mail address: dm3@medicine.wisc.edu (D.G. McNeel). 1872-115X/$ – see front matter © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.uct.2006.05.011