CD4+ T-cell receptor recognizing Wilms' tumor 1 peptide–MHC class II complexes (WT1-specific CD4+ TCR)

The CD4+ T-cell receptor (TCR) recognizing Wilms' tumor 1 (WT1) peptide–MHC class II complexes is a specialized immune receptor that targets cells expressing the WT1 protein. WT1 is a zinc-finger transcription factor that is highly overexpressed in various hematological malignancies, such as acute myeloid leukemia, and several solid tumors, while maintaining low expression in normal adult tissues (Oji et al., 2004). Unlike CD8+ TCRs that recognize MHC Class I, these CD4+ TCRs recognize peptides presented by MHC Class II molecules, which are typically found on professional antigen-presenting cells or certain tumor cells (PMID: 26903500). Activation of these TCRs leads to the recruitment of helper T-cell functions, including the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines like IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha, which enhance the overall anti-tumor immune response and can provide essential help to CD8+ cytotoxic T cells (PubMed, 2014). In therapeutic contexts, these TCRs are utilized in adoptive cell transfer (TCR-T) or targeted via peptide vaccines to induce a robust and sustained immune attack against WT1-positive malignancies (SELLAS Life Sciences, 2024).

Other names

WT1-specific TCRCD4+ WT1 TCRWilms' tumor 1-specific T-cell receptorWT1-specific CD4+ T-cell receptor

Binding to WT1 peptide-MHC class II complexes on the surface of target cells, triggering T-cell activation, cytokine release, and orchestrated anti-tumor immune responses.