MART-1: 26-35(27L)

MART-1: 26-35(27L) is a synthetic peptide vaccine developed by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for the treatment of melanoma. It consists of a 10-amino acid sequence (ELAGIGILTV) derived from the MART-1 (Melanoma Antigen Recognized by T-cells 1) tumor antigen, which is frequently expressed on the surface of melanoma cells. The peptide features a leucine substitution at position 27 (27L), a modification designed to enhance its binding affinity to the HLA-A*0201 molecule. This increased stability on the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) improves the presentation of the antigen to CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes, thereby inducing a more potent and specific anti-tumor immune response compared to the native peptide sequence. In clinical settings, it is typically administered as an emulsion with adjuvants such as Montanide ISA-51 to further boost immunogenicity, often in patients with high-risk resected melanoma to prevent recurrence.

Other names

ELAGIGILTVMART-1(26-35)L27Melanoma antigen recognized by T-cells 1: 26-35(27L)Modified MART-1 peptide 27L