Cytomegalovirus-derived peptide–Major Histocompatibility Complex (CMV-pMHC) (CMV-pMHC)

Cytomegalovirus-derived peptide–Major Histocompatibility Complex (CMV-pMHC) is a molecular assembly consisting of a viral peptide fragment bound to a Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecule on the surface of an infected or transfected cell (Source: PubMed, PMID: 31235954). These complexes serve as the primary signal for the adaptive immune system, specifically CD8+ T cells, to identify and eliminate cells harboring Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) (Source: UniProt). In clinical settings, these complexes are targeted to prevent or treat CMV reactivation in immunocompromised patients, such as those undergoing hematopoietic stem cell or solid organ transplantation (Source: NIH, ClinicalTrials.gov). Therapeutic strategies include the use of CMV-specific T-cell transfers, TCR-engineered T cells, and vaccines designed to elicit a robust pMHC-specific immune response (Source: Frontiers in Immunology). Furthermore, certain CMV-pMHCs are being explored as targets in oncology due to the presence of CMV antigens in some solid tumors like glioblastoma (Source: Journal of Clinical Investigation).

Other names

HCMV peptide-HLA complexCMV-pMHCCMV-specific pMHCpp65-HLA-A*02:01 complexIE1-HLA complex

Recognition by T-cell receptors (TCRs) or TCR-like molecules to trigger targeted lysis of CMV-infected or antigen-expressing cells.