Dissecting the functional role of TRIM8, PIMs and LGALS3BP/90K as tumor antigenic determinants in ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer is the 8th most common cancer in women, with a high mortality rate due to late diagnosis and chemo-resistance development. The underlying pathogenetic mechanisms need to be better clarified in order to identify new early biomarkers and new potential therapeutic targets. The aim of this study was to summarize the current knowledge about the roles played in the ovarian cancer pathogenesis by three tumor antigenic determinants: Tripartite motif-containing protein 8 (TRIM8), an E3 ubi-quitin ligase enzyme belonging to the TRIM protein family and involved in various biological processes, such as cell survival, apoptosis, differentiation, carcinogenesis, inflammation and the innate immune response; Lectin galactoside-binding soluble 3 binding protein (LGALS3BP or 90K), a glycoprotein belonging to the superfamily of Scavenger Receptor Cysteine-Rich domain (SRCR) proteins and synthesized by different cell types as mediator cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions; and Provi-ral Integration site for Moloney murine leukemia virus (PIM) kinases, a family of cellular serine/proline dependent kinases, which phosphorylate specific substrates involved in the control of the cell cycle.