EVALUATION OF ANTI-NY-ESO-1 ANTIBODY USING THE JESS AUTOMATED WESTERN BLOTTING SYSTEM AS A DYNAMIC BIOMARKER IN BREAST CANCER

Abstract

Breast cancer is especially heterogeneous. This heterogeneity demands reliable prognostic, diagnostic, and therapeutic biomarkers to support precision medicine techniques and improve patient outcomes, especially in aggressive subtypes. Cancertestis antigens (CTAs) represent a promising advancement in this search. They are highly immunogenic and are aberrantly expressed in various malignancies, including breast cancer. NY-ESO-1 stands out; it triggers strong and spontaneous immune responses when expressed in tumors. Patient serum can be used to detect anti-NY-ESO1 antibodies in tumors and provide insights into disease progression and recurrence. Understanding the potential expression and clinical relevance of NY-ESO-1 in breast cancer could finally push for its development as a biomarker for patient stratification and targeted therapeutic strategies. In the present study, we set out to map the prevalence of NY-ESO-1 antibodies within a cohort of 216 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients treated at the National Center for Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR), Hamad Medical Corporation. To ensure sensitive immunodetection, we opted for the JESS Simple WesternTM system. After our threshold analysis, we found that 13% of the analyzed serum samples were classified as positive for anti-NY-ESO-1 antibodies. Interestingly, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) showed a higher positivity rate of 23%. This discrepancy suggests that the JESS system may have improved sample discrimination and a reduced likelihood of false-positive results, often seen with ELISA. Our Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve backed this up, showing strong diagnostic performance with high sensitivity and specificity. When we looked at the Kaplan– Meier survival analysis, NY-ESO-1 positivity maintained a survival probability close to 100% throughout follow-up. Meanwhile, the negative group showed a notable decline of approximately three to four months after diagnosis. This study demonstrates the feasibility of a reliable method for detecting anti-NY-ESO1 antibodies in patients with breast cancer. These preliminary results suggest the potential for NY-ESO-1 as a dynamic biomarker. However, further large-scale studies are required to determine the clinical utility of NY-ESO-1 for patient stratification and precision therapeutics.

Date of Award	2026
Original language	American English
Awarding Institution	HBKU College of Health & Life Sciences