HLA-A*02:01-presented Carcinoembryonic Antigen Peptide-1 (HLA-A*02:01/CAP-1)

The HLA-A*02:01-presented CAP-1 peptide is a specific peptide-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) consisting of a nonamer epitope (sequence: YLSGANLNL) derived from the Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) bound to the HLA-A*02:01 molecule (Tsang et al., 1995, J Natl Cancer Inst). CEA is a cell-surface glycoprotein that is highly overexpressed in various adenocarcinomas, particularly colorectal, pancreatic, and lung cancers, while maintaining restricted expression in normal adult tissues (Zaremba et al., 1997, Cancer Res). The CAP-1 peptide is naturally processed and presented on the surface of these malignant cells, serving as a critical target for antigen-specific cancer immunotherapies. Therapeutic approaches targeting this complex include peptide-based vaccines, dendritic cell vaccines, and engineered T-cell receptor (TCR) therapies designed to trigger a cytotoxic T-lymphocyte response against CEA-positive tumors (Fong et al., 2001, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A). Because HLA-A*02:01 is one of the most prevalent HLA alleles in the human population, this target is applicable to a significant demographic of cancer patients. To improve therapeutic efficacy, agonist analogs such as CAP-1-6D (YLSGADLNL) have been developed to enhance the stability of the pMHC complex and increase the activation of specific T-cells (Allen et al., 2002, Clin Cancer Res).

Other names

HLA-A*0201/CEA(605-613)CEA peptide CAP-1/HLA-A*02:01 complexHLA-A2/CAP-1YLSGANLNL/HLA-A*02:01

T-cell receptor (TCR) mediated recognition of the pMHC complex leading to cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) activation and tumor cell lysis.