Anti-p21 autoantibodies detected in colorectal cancer patients: A proof of concept study

Whereas the presence of autoantibodies in cancer patients has been acknowledged, their diagnostic or therapeutic significance has yet to be established. This is due, at least in part, to the lack of robust screening techniques to detect and characterize such antibodies for further assessment. In this study, we screened colorectal cancer (CRC) patient sera for antibodies specifically targeting the key cell cycle inhibitory factor p21 encoded by the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A (CDKN1A). Anti-p21 antibody titers were higher in CRC patient samples versus controls, correlating with a more advanced disease stage and lymph node involvement. Further, we isolated for the first time a specific human antibody fragment against p21, which could potentially be useful as a tool to study tumorigenicity in CRC patients.