Epstein-Barr virus antigenic peptides presented on human leukocyte antigen class I (EBV-HLA-I)

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) antigenic peptides presented on human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I molecules are the primary targets for CD8+ cytotoxic T-cell recognition of EBV-infected cells. These complexes are formed when viral proteins, such as Latent Membrane Proteins (LMP1, LMP2) or Epstein-Barr Nuclear Antigens (EBNA), are processed into short peptides and loaded onto HLA class I molecules within the endoplasmic reticulum (UniProt; PubMed PMID: 17291317). In EBV-associated malignancies like post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD), nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and certain lymphomas, these peptide-MHC complexes serve as specific markers that allow the immune system to distinguish malignant cells from healthy tissue (NIH/NCI; PubMed PMID: 21300443). Therapeutic interventions, most notably adoptive T-cell therapies like tabelecleucel (Ebvallo), utilize EBV-specific T-cells that recognize these complexes to induce targeted cell death (EMA Ebvallo SmPC). Additionally, research into multiple sclerosis has highlighted the potential role of these complexes in autoimmune pathogenesis, suggesting that EBV-specific immune responses may cross-react with central nervous system antigens (Science PMID: 35025605). Challenges in targeting these complexes include the high diversity of HLA alleles across populations and the ability of tumors to downregulate HLA expression to evade immune detection (PubMed PMID: 11544343).

Other names

EBV peptide-MHC class I complexEBV pMHC-IEpstein-Barr virus peptide-HLA complexesEBV-specific T-cell targetsEBV-HLA class I complex

Recognition and binding by the T-cell receptor (TCR) on CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes, which triggers the release of cytotoxic granules (perforin and granzymes) to induce apoptosis in the EBV-infected or malignant target cell.