Relationship Between Thomsen-nouveau (Tn) Antigen and Antitumor Vaccines

Tn antigen is a specialized sugar-based structure that is a type of blood group antigen. It consists of GalNAc monosaccharide units attached to serine or threonine residues on specific proteins or glycoproteins. Its aberrant expression has been associated with the development and progression of certain cancers. Anti-tumor vaccines are designed with the idea of recognizing and attacking tumor cells by activating the immune system. Tn antigen can be used as one of the potential antigenic components of anti-tumor vaccines. Tn antigens in vaccine formulations can stimulate the body to generate specific immune responses. This strategy, by using Tn antigens as a component of antitumor vaccines, is expected to be sufficient to enhance the immune response and induce tumor cells to be attacked and cleared by the immune system.

Fig.1 Chemical synthesis of Tn antigen by α glycosylation of Ser or Thr building blocks. (Ju, et al., 2011)

Tn Antigen Production Service at CD BioGlyco

CD BioGlyco has a state-of-the-art Glyco™ Vaccine Development Platform to offer clients a variety of Carbohydrate-based Vaccine Development services. Our specialized Tn antigen production service will help you to accelerate your research process. The Tn antigen production services we offer are categorized as follows:

• Chemical synthesis
  • We will first prepare a Tn antigen starting material, such as a known sugar or open-cyclic sugar.
  • Next, the starting material is added to the growth base and different monosaccharides or branching structures are added gradually through different chemical reactions.
  • To avoid disconnecting the hydroxyl or carboxyl groups of each sugar molecule during the reaction, protective groups are introduced to protect these groups. After the completion of the growing sugar chain, the protective groups are removed, exposing the internal hydroxyl or carboxyl groups to attach the next sugar molecule.
  • Finally, we analyze and confirm the structure of the synthesized Tn antigen and perform purification steps.
• Biosynthesis
  • We produce Tn antigens by introducing exogenous genes or mutant cell lines that utilize cell surface enzyme systems.
  • We produce Tn antigens by cloning and expressing natural or synthetic Tn antigen genes.

Fig.2 Classification of Tn antigen production methods. (CD BioGlyco)

We also provide follow-up vaccine development services to use the produced Tn antigens in vaccine co-immunization strategies, thus helping you enhance the immune efficacy and durability of your vaccines. For example, we combine Tn antigens with other glycosylated antigens, protein antigens, peptide antigens, etc. to construct multivalent vaccines.

Applications

• Tn antigens, as targets for immunotherapy and immune monitoring, can be used to study immune cell responses to Tn antigens and explore the role of the immune system in tumors.
• Tn antigen can be used as one of the tumor markers to evaluate and analyze the presence, type, and progression status of a tumor.

Advantages of Us

• By optimizing production processes and resource utilization, we provide more quality services on research.
• We have the flexibility to adjust to the changing needs of our clients, including the adjustment of product specifications and the expansion of production capacity.
• We provide comprehensive solutions, including related technical consulting, experimental design, data analysis, etc.

CD BioGlyco is a company specializing in biotechnology services and our Tn antigen production services cover a wide range of synthesis methods. Our experienced technicians will fully meet your requirements and provide first-class and considerate service. For further details, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Reference

1. Ju, T.; et al. The Tn antigen—structural simplicity and biological complexity. Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 2011, 50(8): 1770-1791.