Antigen presentation pathway in cancer cells (null)

The "cancer cell antigen presentation pathway" refers to the cellular processes by which cancer cell-derived proteins (tumor antigens) are processed into peptide fragments and presented on the cell surface, primarily via major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules, for recognition by cytotoxic CD8+ T cells, and via MHC class II molecules for CD4+ T cells. This process involves protein degradation by the proteasome, peptide transport via TAP into the endoplasmic reticulum, peptide loading onto MHC molecules, and presentation at the cell surface. Effective presentation is critical for immune surveillance and successful cancer immunotherapies. Many tumors evade immune recognition by downregulating components of this pathway through genetic or epigenetic alterations, leading to immune escape and resistance to immunotherapy. The pathway is not a single molecular drug target but a coordinated network of proteins and processes, making its direct pharmacological targeting complex.

Other names

Cancer antigen presentation pathwayCancer cell antigen processing and presentationTumor antigen presentation pathway

Enhancement or suppression of antigen presentation (e.g., interferon-γ increases MHC molecule expression, HDAC inhibitors reverse epigenetic silencing of antigen presentation genes); Immune checkpoint blockade (downstream effect)