MART-1 (27-35)

MART-1: 27-35 is a peptide fragment derived from the Melanoma-associated antigen recognized by T cells-1 (MART-1/Melan-A) protein. This peptide corresponds to amino acids 27-35 of the MART-1 protein, with the sequence AAGIGILTV[1][2][8]. ## Characteristics and Function MART-1: 27-35 is an immunodominant epitope recognized by HLA-A2-restricted melanoma-specific tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL)[2][8]. The peptide is commonly associated with MHC complexes and is recognized by cytotoxic T cells[1]. This recognition is crucial for immune responses against melanoma cells. The MART-1 protein itself is a differentiation antigen expressed at the surface of melanocytes and is found in most skin cancers, including melanomas[1]. Its expression is restricted to melanocytes and not found in other tissues, making it an attractive target for cancer vaccines and adoptive cell therapy[1]. ## Therapeutic Applications MART-1: 27-35 appears to be a very common immunogenic epitope for HLA-A2-restricted melanoma-specific tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and may be useful for the development of immunotherapeutic strategies against melanoma[2]. Researchers have developed modified versions of this peptide to enhance its immunogenicity and binding capacity to HLA-A2 molecules. ## Modified Variants Several modified versions of MART-1: 27-35 have been developed to improve its therapeutic potential: 1. A singly substituted peptide containing a Leu in position 1 (LAGIGILTV; 1L) has been shown to behave as a superagonist, inducing specific T cells with enhanced immunological functions[5]. These T cells display higher sensitivity to the native peptide and produce higher levels of interferon gamma and interleukin-2 in response to melanoma cells[5]. 2. Double-substituted peptide analogues incorporating a substitution at a primary anchor residue and a β-amino acid residue have been developed to enhance binding to HLA-A2 while maintaining recognition by tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes[9]. 3. A peptide-based cancer vaccine known as MART-1:26-35(27L) has been developed, which contains a leucine substitution at position 27[3]. The development of these modified peptides aims to overcome the weak immunogenicity of the native peptide and enhance its potential as a cancer immunotherapy agent.

Other names

MART-1 AntigenMART1 AntigenMART 1 AntigenMelan-A/MART-1 (27-35)