# CEACAM5

Source: https://nuclide.cc/targets/ceacam5/  
Nuclide record `ceacam5` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from Nuclide (nuclide.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

The classic 'CEA' tumour marker measured in blood, also present on the cell surface where ADCs can reach it.

## Summary

CEACAM5 is carcinoembryonic antigen, a GPI-anchored adhesion molecule that is shed into circulation as the serum CEA marker and also sits on the cell surface where ADCs and T-cell engagers can reach it. It is overexpressed in colorectal (80-90% moderate-to-high by IHC), gastric (50-60%), lung adenocarcinoma, and pancreatic cancers; only 20-25% of non-squamous NSCLC met the high-expression threshold used in CARMEN. Tusamitamab ravtansine failed in phase 3 NSCLC (CARMEN-LC03), a setback that raised questions about payload choice and patient selection rather than the target itself. CEACAM5 remains pursued with T-cell engagers and next-generation ADCs. The simple version is the classic CEA blood marker, now also being used as a surface target for drug delivery.

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-04
- Tags: adc-target; biomarker
- Symbol: CEACAM5
- Class: surface-antigen
- Biology: GPI-anchored adhesion molecule; shed into circulation as the serum CEA marker.
- Where found: Colorectal; Gastric; Lung adenocarcinoma; Pancreatic

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carcinoembryonic_antigen
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carcinoembryonic_antigen

## Connected records

- pathways: [Lineage plasticity & neuroendocrine transformation](https://nuclide.cc/pathways/lineage-plasticity-neuroendocrine/)
- indications: [Colorectal cancer](https://nuclide.cc/indications/colorectal-cancer/)
- opportunities: [CEACAM5 imaging for occult colorectal recurrence](https://nuclide.cc/opportunities/opp-ceacam5-imaging-colorectal/)
- ideas: [Pretargeted alpha radioimmunotherapy](https://nuclide.cc/ideas/idea-pretargeted-alpha-therapy/)
- targets: [5T4 (trophoblast glycoprotein)](https://nuclide.cc/targets/tpbg-5t4/)

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JSON: https://nuclide.cc/api/v1/entities/ceacam5.json