Receptor for hyaluronan acid-mediated motility (RHAMM) is a new immunogenic leukemia-associated antigen in acute and chronic myeloid leukemia.

Identification of leukemia-associated antigens (LAA) eliciting an immune response in patients is a prerequisite for specific immunotherapy of leukemias. To identify new LAA, we used the method of serologic screening of cDNA expression libraries (SEREX). A SEREX library of the cell line K562 was subjected to allogeneic screening with sera from patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) vs sera from healthy volunteers. The receptor for hyaluronan acid-mediated motility (RHAMM) involved in cell growth and metastasis was identified as a new LAA. Serologic responses to RHAMM were observed in patients with AML (42%), CML (31%), melanoma (83%), renal cell carcinoma (40%), breast cancer (67%), and ovarian carcinoma (50%), but not in HV or patients with autoimmune diseases. RHAMM mRNA was detectable in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMN) of 60% of newly diagnosed AML patients. Western blotting stained positive for RHAMM protein in 70% of AML patients. mRNA expression of RHAMM also was found in patients with CML (40%), renal cell carcinoma (73%), breast carcinoma (60%), and ovarian carcinoma (50%). In melanoma, RHAMM mRNA expression was detected in metastases (80%) but not in primary tumors. RHAMM is differentially expressed: significant mRNA expression was not found in normal tissues, except from testis, placenta, and thymus, or in PBMN- and CD34-separated cell samples of healthy volunteers. RHAMM is an immunogenic antigen in leukemias and solid tumors and might be a potential target structure for cellular immunotherapies and antibody therapies.