Tumor-Associated Carbohydrate Antigen (TACA). Tn is a truncated O-glycosylated core determinant with structure: GalNAcα-O-Ser/Thr. In normal Mamalian cells, the Tn determinant is masked by larger glycan residues. Once unmasked, Tn serves as an important recognition element, mediating several cell-cell interactions. As such, Tn is implicated in tumour cell organotropic metastasis. Targeting immune responses to truncated variants of O-glycan chains expressed by tumour cells represents a promising approach for the development of antigen-specific therapeutic vaccines against cancers, and accumulated evidence has rendered Tn a prime target for cancer immunotherapy.
Other Names:
Tn Epitope (Threonine);
GalNAc-α-1-O-Threonine;
GalNAc-Threonine;
O-(2-Acetamido-2-deoxy-α-D-galactopyranosyl)-L-threonine
