Epstein-Barr virus peptide–Human leukocyte antigen class I complex (EBV-pHLA-I)

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) peptide–Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I complex is a molecular assembly presented on the surface of EBV-infected cells and EBV-associated tumor cells (Bollard & Heslop, 2016, PMID: 27114463). These complexes consist of short viral peptide fragments, derived from latent or lytic EBV proteins such as Latent Membrane Protein 1 (LMP1), LMP2, or Epstein-Barr Nuclear Antigen 1 (EBNA1), bound within the groove of HLA class I molecules (Taylor et al., 2015, PMID: 25617115). Their primary biological function is to serve as the specific ligand for the T-cell receptors (TCRs) of CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes, enabling the immune system to identify and eliminate infected or malignant cells. In the context of EBV-associated malignancies like nasopharyngeal carcinoma and various lymphomas, these complexes are critical therapeutic targets for precision immunotherapy. Modern treatments, including adoptive T-cell transfers like Tabelecleucel and TCR-engineered cells, are designed to specifically recognize these pMHC complexes to induce targeted cell death (Prock et al., 2023, PMID: 36516543). However, challenges such as HLA downregulation by tumor cells and the risk of cross-reactivity with similar human self-peptides remain significant considerations in drug development.

Other names

EBV peptide-MHC class I complexEBV pMHCEpstein-Barr virus antigen-HLA complexEBV-specific peptide-HLA complexEBV-HLA-I complex

Recognition by T-cell receptors (TCRs) on CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes, leading to the activation of cytolytic pathways and the subsequent lysis of EBV-infected or malignant cells (Bollard & Heslop, 2016, PMID: 27114463).