Brachyury-derived peptide presented by HLA (BRA-HLA)

BRA#4-derived peptide presented by HLA refers to a specific antigenic epitope, typically the WLLHGLEI sequence, derived from the Brachyury protein (encoded by the T gene) and displayed on the cell surface by Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) molecules, most commonly HLA-A*02:01. Brachyury is a transcription factor essential for mesoderm formation during embryonic development, but its expression in healthy adult tissues is extremely limited. In many cancers, however, Brachyury is overexpressed and serves as a master regulator of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process that enables tumor cells to become more invasive, metastatic, and resistant to chemotherapy and radiation. This restricted expression pattern and critical role in tumor progression make the Brachyury-derived peptide-HLA complex a high-priority target for cancer immunotherapies. Current development efforts include T-cell receptor-engineered T-cell (TCR-T) therapies, such as those pioneered by Medigene, and therapeutic vaccines like MVA-Brachyury-TRICOM, which aim to elicit a robust T-cell response against metastatic and treatment-resistant tumors.

Other names

BRA#4 peptideBrachyury peptide WLLHGLEIT-box transcription factor T peptideHLA-A*02:01/Brachyury(WLLHGLEI) complexBRA-derived peptideT-p2 peptide

T-cell receptor (TCR) mediated recognition of the peptide-HLA complex on the surface of tumor cells, leading to cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) activation, cytokine release, and targeted lysis of Brachyury-expressing cells.