Background of the antigen
ILEI is a 227 amino acid, ubiquitously expressed protein containing an amino-terminal signal peptide. Elevated levels of ILEI translation are observed in oncogenic, Ras-transformed mammary epithelial cells and epithelial to mesenchymal transition (Emt) as well as tumor growth and metastasis. Also, overexpression of ILEI results in loss of ZO-1, a protein involved in tight junctions, and expression of cytoplasmic E-cadherin, which has been shown to influence loss of polarity and invasiveness. Due to this evidence, it is suspected that ILEI cooperates with oncogenic Ras to cause TGF∫-independent Emt and its overexpression is correlated with the invasion, metastasis and survival in a variety of cancers.
