E7B6 epitope (E7B6)

The E7B6 epitope is a human-derived peptide sequence, originating from the La/SS-B nuclear protein, which serves as the foundational targeting element for the modular Reverse Chimeric Antigen Receptor (RevCAR) T-cell platform (Mitwasi et al., 2020). In this system, T-cells are engineered to express a RevCAR that specifically recognizes the E7B6 epitope rather than a tumor-associated antigen (Feldmann et al., 2020). Therapeutic activity is achieved through the administration of a bispecific Target Module (TM), which bridges the RevCAR T-cell to a tumor cell by binding the E7B6 epitope on one end and a specific cancer antigen on the other (Kittel-Boselli et al., 2021). This modular design allows for precise, dose-dependent control of T-cell activation and provides a safety off-switch, as T-cell activity ceases upon the clearance of the TM from the circulation. The use of a human-derived epitope like E7B6 is a strategic choice to minimize potential immunogenicity, a common challenge with non-human peptide tags in adapter-based CAR-T systems. This platform is currently being investigated for various malignancies, including acute myeloid leukemia and prostate cancer, offering a potential safety advantage through the ability to switch off the therapy by ceasing TM administration.

Other names

La-derived E7B6 peptideE7B6 tagSS-B derived epitopeLa-epitope E7B6

The E7B6 epitope acts as a universal docking site for RevCAR-E7B6 T-cells. When incorporated into a bispecific Target Module (TM) that also binds a tumor-associated antigen, the epitope facilitates the formation of an immunological synapse between the engineered T-cell and the cancer cell, triggering T-cell activation, cytokine release, and tumor cell lysis.