PAS Domain Containing Protein 1 (PASD1)

PASD1 encodes a protein that is thought to function as a transcription factor. The protein is a cancer-associated antigen that can stimulate autologous T-cell responses, and it is therefore considered to be a potential immunotherapeutic target for the treatment of various hematopoietic malignancies, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The PASD1-predicted protein contains a PAS domain that, together with a putative leucine zipper and nuclear localisation signal, suggests it encodes a transcription factor. Expression of PASD1 mRNA was restricted to normal testis, while frequent expression was observed in solid tumours (25 out of 68), thus fulfilling the criteria for a novel cancer testis antigen. PASD1 has potential for lymphoma vaccine development that may also be widely applicable to other tumour types.