Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen 3B peptide–Major Histocompatibility Complex (EBNA3B-MHC)

The Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen 3B (EBNA3B) peptide–Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) is a specialized immunological target presented on the surface of cells infected with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) (UniProt: P12977). EBNA3B is a latent viral protein essential for the transformation of B-cells, and its processed peptides are presented by MHC Class I molecules, most notably HLA-A*11:01, to the immune system (PubMed: 10438919). This complex serves as a specific marker for EBV-infected cells, particularly in Latency III programs associated with post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) and other EBV-driven malignancies (PubMed: 25533036). Therapeutic strategies targeting this complex include adoptive T-cell therapies and engineered T-cell receptor (TCR) therapies, such as Tabelecleucel, which aim to selectively eliminate infected cells while sparing healthy tissue (EMA: Ebvallo Assessment Report). The high specificity of the peptide-MHC interaction makes it an attractive candidate for precision immunotherapy, although challenges such as HLA restriction and viral immune evasion through MHC downregulation must be addressed (PubMed: 16143515).

Other names

EBNA3B-HLA complexEBNA-3B peptide-MHCEBNA3B-HLA-A*11:01 complexEpstein-Barr nuclear antigen 3B peptide-HLA complex

T-cell receptor (TCR) mediated recognition of the EBNA3B peptide presented on MHC Class I, leading to the activation of cytotoxic T-lymphocytes and subsequent lysis of the target cell via the perforin/granzyme pathway.