Camyotopes presented by MHC class I

Camyotopes are a proprietary class of shared tumor-associated antigens derived from the non-coding regions of the human genome, often referred to as the "dark genome." These antigens originate from long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) that contain small open reading frames (smORFs) which are translated into micropeptides specifically within cancer cells [2, 8]. Once processed, these peptides are presented by Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) class I molecules on the cell surface, where they serve as targets for recognition by cytotoxic CD8+ T cells [5, 6]. Unlike traditional neoantigens that are typically unique to individual patients, camyotopes exhibit high sharedness across patient populations, with some identified in over 95% of patients with specific cancer types [4, 7]. This high degree of conservation makes camyotopes ideal candidates for "off-the-shelf" therapeutic cancer vaccines, bypassing the need for complex personalized manufacturing [1, 3]. The lead therapeutic candidate, CAMYO-01, is an mRNA-based vaccine designed to target a pool of colorectal cancer-specific camyotopes to stimulate a robust and specific anti-tumor immune response [2, 12]. By targeting the dark genome, these therapies aim to provide effective treatment options for patients with low tumor mutational burden who may not respond to conventional checkpoint inhibitors or personalized neoantigen vaccines [5, 10].

Other names

Dark genome antigenslncRNA-derived antigenscamyoRNA-derived tumor-associated antigensPublic neoantigensShared dark genome epitopes

Induction of antigen-specific CD8+ and CD4+ T-cell responses through the presentation of dark genome-derived micropeptides on MHC molecules to elicit anti-tumor immunity.