Broad antigen repertoire

Broad antigen repertoire is not a specific molecular target or receptor, but rather a therapeutic concept and strategy in immunology and oncology (MDPI, 2020). It refers to the presentation of a wide variety of antigens—such as tumor-associated antigens (TAAs), neoantigens, or pathogen-derived epitopes—to the immune system to elicit a diverse and robust T-cell or B-cell response (NIH, 2025). This approach is particularly prominent in the development of cancer vaccines (e.g., whole-cell or lysate-based vaccines) and oncolytic viruses, where the goal is to overcome tumor heterogeneity and prevent antigen escape, a process where tumors lose a single targeted antigen to evade immune detection (Frontiers, 2025). By targeting a broad repertoire, therapies aim to induce epitope spreading, where the immune response expands to recognize additional antigens beyond the initial targets, leading to more durable and comprehensive disease control (MDPI, 2020). Platforms like BriaCell's Bria-OTS+ utilize this concept by engineering cells to display a vast array of antigens alongside co-stimulatory molecules to maximize immune activation (AACR, 2024). Consequently, while not a target molecule itself, the broad antigen repertoire represents a systems-level target for multi-valent immunotherapies. This strategy is also being explored in infectious diseases like tuberculosis to improve vaccine efficacy by including a more diversified array of antigens (MDPI, 2020).

Other names

Antigenic breadthDiverse antigen repertoireMulti-antigen targetingPolyvalent antigen presentation

Induction of a polyvalent immune response through the presentation of multiple antigens to prevent immune escape and promote epitope spreading.