These compositions may represent potential anticancer therapeutics, stimulating NY ESO-1/CAG-3-specific T cells to elicit an anti-cancer immunogenic response and thereby eliminating or reducing the cancer.

The current invention embodies the identification, isolation and cloning of a gene encoding a novel tumor antigen, NY ESO- 1/CAG-3, as well as cancer peptides thereof and antigenic cancer epitopes contained within the cancer peptides. This novel antigen is recognized by cytotoxic T lymphocyte clones derived from the TIL586 (tumor infiltrating lymphocyte) cell line in an HLA restricted manner. The inventors believe that cancer peptides which are encoded by the NY ESO-1/CAG-3 gene represent potential cancer vaccines, protecting an individual from development of cancer by inhibiting the growth of cells or tumors which express the NY ESO-1/CAG- 3 antigen. Also embodied in the invention are pharmaceutical compositions comprising the NY ESO-1/CAG-3 antigen, peptide, or an antigenic cancer epitope thereof in combination with one or more immunostimulatory molecules. These compositions represent potential anticancer therapeutics, stimulating NY ESO- 1/CAG-3-specific T cells to elicit an anti-cancer immunogenic response and thereby eliminating or reducing the cancer. While these vaccines and pharmaceutical compositions may be developed for use against a variety of cancers, data obtained to date indicate that they may be of particular value for use against melanoma. Methods for diagnosing cancer via the detection of NY ESO- 1/CAG-3 are also embodied in the invention.

U.S. Patent No. 7,084,239 issued 01 Aug 2006 (HHS Reference No. E-265-1997/0-US-04) Inventors: Steven A. Rosenberg (NCI) et al.

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