Epstein-Barr virus-derived peptide–Human Leukocyte Antigen complex (EBV peptide–HLA complex)

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-derived peptide–Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) complexes are the molecular targets recognized by T cells to control EBV infection and EBV-associated malignancies. These complexes consist of short viral peptides, derived from latent proteins (such as EBNA2, EBNA3A/B/C, and LMP1/2) or lytic cycle proteins (such as BZLF1 and BRLF1), presented on the cell surface by HLA class I or II molecules (Long et al., 2011, J Exp Med). In EBV-associated cancers such as nasopharyngeal carcinoma and post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD), the expression of these complexes allows the immune system to distinguish malignant cells from healthy tissue (Young et al., 2016, Nat Rev Cancer). Therapeutic strategies targeting these complexes include adoptive cell transfer of EBV-specific T cells (EBV-CTLs) and the development of TCR-engineered T cells. For instance, tabelecleucel is an approved allogeneic T-cell therapy that targets these complexes to treat EBV-positive PTLD (Prockop et al., 2020, JCI). The specificity of the interaction depends on both the viral peptide sequence and the patient's specific HLA allele, making HLA typing a critical component of patient selection and therapy design (Taylor et al., 2015, Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci).

Other names

Other EBV-derived peptide–HLA complexesEBV-HLA complexEBV-MHC complexEpstein-Barr virus antigen-HLA complexEBV-specific T-cell targets

T-cell receptor (TCR) mediated recognition of the peptide-HLA complex, leading to T-cell activation and cytotoxic lysis of the target cell.