EpCAM is not a LAIR-1 ligand!

Abstract

To the editor: The report by Armstrong et al, entitled “EpCAM: A new therapeutic target for an old cancer antigen” published in the July 2003 issue of Cancer Biology Therapy was read with great interest because the EpCAM protein is one of the potential target molecules on disseminated tumor cells. Within this paper LAIR-1, a member of the inhibitory group of the immunoglobulin-like receptors was stated as a novel receptor for EpCAM.

In the present paper the authors speculate that the neoplastic cells by interacting with LAIR-1 (Leukocyte Associated Immunoglobulin-like Receptor-1) via EpCAM might gain the possibility to escape the immunological surveillance mechanism of the body and thus confer a selective advantage for their growth and spread. Although this hypothesis is attractive, unfortunately, the original paper by Meyaard et al has been retracted because the observed binding of the LAIR-1 fusion protein to EpCAM transfected cells was an artefact attributed to the contamination of the LAIR-1 fusion protein preparation with an anti-human EpCAM monoclonal antibody.

We think it is important to provide the journal’s audience with this information because the possibility exists that without comment the LAIR-1/EpCAM hypothesis might lead the interested reader in a wrong direction of research.

Andreas Nechansky and Ralf Kircheis

Igeneon Krebs-Immuntherapie Forschungs- und Entwicklungs-AG

A-1230 Vienna, Austria

REFERENCES

1. Armstrong A, Eck, SL. EpCAM. A new therapeutic target for an old cancer antigen. Cancer Biol. Ther. 2003; 2(4):320-6.

2. Meyaard L, van der Burst de Vries A-R, de Reiter T, Lanier, LL, Phillips, JH, Clovers H. The Epithelial Cellular Adhesion Molecule (EpCAM) is a ligand for the Leukocyte-associated Immunoglobulin-like Receptor (LAIR). J. Exp. Med. 2001; 194(1):107-112.

3. Meyaard L, van der Burst de Vries A-R, de Reiter T, Lanier, LL, Phillips, JH, Clovers H. Retraction. J. Exp. Med. 2003;198(7):1129.