I have searched on my database derived from PDMD (protein-direct-microsequencing-deciphering) method.

Healed HepG2 (cultured with fucoidan for 3 days; American Caucasoid; male) has Melanoma-associated antigen D4/MAGE-D4 antigen at 1.2 μg/ mg of cell protein, but hepatoma HepG2 (cultured without fucoidan) does not have.

LC tissue (numbered No.6; Japanese; male) has Wilms' tumor protein/WT33 at 1.8 μg/ mg of tissue protein, but HCC tissue (numbered No.6; Japanese; male) does not have.

Therefore, it seems that tumor associated antigens (TAAs) genes are not directly linked to cancer ("Effect of Fucoidan Is Not Due to Gene Expression"; please see file; HepG2 fucoidan), but may be related to the developmental conditions (state of differentiation) of liver tissues.

Interesting read, thank you Kou!

Dear Martyna,

Details by Dr. Kou, should be very helpful. On another note, the TAAs drive some covert growth and proliferative signals which demands its consistent expression even when in stem cell (CSC) state. 

Best,

Mannan

As already stated above several Tumor Associated Antigens or Cancer Testes Antigens  are up-regulated in early cellular and embryonic development and are not required in the 'Day to day' process of a cell. Others are found in immune privileged sites i.e. the brain or testes. However due to cancers having such a diverse epigenetic profile some cancers up-regulate these markers and utilize them in now unknown escape mechanisms they use. Most labs have been trying to utilize them as targets in immunotherapy and not so much the mechanism. MAGEs and NYESO1 in Melanoma. WT1 in AML, CML renal carcinomas. CLL has ROR1. We have a couple of papers talking about hypo-methylating agents that can up-regulate the expression of several of them.