MAGE-A3 as a target for cancer immunotherapy: A systematic review of clinical and preclinical evidence.

BACKGROUND

MAGE-A3, a cancer-testis antigen, is a promising immunotherapeutic target due to its high expression in various malignancies and limited expression in normal tissues. However, clinical outcomes with MAGE-A3-based therapies have been inconsistent.

PURPOSE: This systematic review evaluates the effectiveness of MAGE-A3 immunotherapy in cancer by synthesizing clinical and in vitro evidence regarding efficacy, immunogenicity, safety, and predictive biomarkers.

METHODS

The review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42024577090). A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, MEDLINE, and Cochrane for articles published until February 8, 2024, supplemented by a manual review of bibliographies. Two independent reviewers followed PRISMA guidelines for study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment, including Risk of Bias evaluation using the ROBVIS tool.

RESULTS

Ninety-three studies were included. Clinical investigations, mainly in melanoma and non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), demonstrated that MAGE-A3 immunotherapy is generally safe and elicits antigen-specific immune responses. However, large phase III trials (e.g., MAGRIT, DERMA) failed to show significant improvements in disease-free or overall survival. A subset of studies identified predictive gene signatures correlating with better outcomes. In vitro studies provided mechanistic insights, revealing enhanced antigen expression through epigenetic modulation, improved dendritic cell-mediated antigen presentation, and promising results from advanced T-cell receptor engineering.

CONCLUSION

Although MAGE-A3 immunotherapy induces immune responses with a favorable safety profile, its clinical efficacy remains limited. Future strategies should focus on optimized patient selection via predictive biomarkers and combination therapies to enhance antitumor effectiveness.