HLA-A*24:02-restricted Epstein-Barr virus latent membrane protein 2 peptide (HLA-A*24:02/EBV LMP2)

The HLA-A*24:02-presented EBV LMP2-derived peptide is a specific peptide-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) target used in the development of immunotherapies for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated malignancies [1]. This target consists of an 8-10 amino acid fragment, most commonly the TYGPVFMCL sequence (residues 419-427), derived from the EBV Latent Membrane Protein 2 (LMP2) and presented by the HLA-A*24:02 allele [1, 3]. LMP2 is consistently expressed in EBV-related cancers such as nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), gastric cancer, and certain lymphomas, where it plays a role in maintaining viral latency and promoting cell survival [3]. Because HLA-A*24:02 is highly prevalent in East Asian populations where NPC is endemic, this pMHC complex is a primary focus for T-cell receptor (TCR) engineered T-cell therapies and therapeutic vaccines [2, 4]. Drugs targeting this complex, such as TCR-T cells, are designed to recognize the specific pMHC on the surface of tumor cells, leading to targeted cytolysis [2]. Therapeutic challenges include potential cross-reactivity with similar self-peptides and the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment characteristic of EBV-driven tumors [4].

Other names

HLA-A*24:02/LMP2(419-427)A24-restricted EBV LMP2 epitopeTYGPVFMCL-HLA-A*24:02 complexEBV LMP2:419-427 peptide-MHCHLA-A24-presented LMP2 antigen

T-cell receptor (TCR) binding and subsequent T-cell mediated cytolysis of EBV-infected or transformed cells.