HLA-B*07:02–CMV pp65 peptide complex (HLA-B*07:02–pp65)

The HLA-B*07:02–CMV pp65 peptide complex is a specific peptide-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) class I molecule that plays a pivotal role in the human immune response against Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV). It consists of the HLA-B*07:02 heavy chain, beta-2 microglobulin, and an immunodominant peptide (typically TPRVTGGGAM) derived from the CMV tegument protein pp65 (UL83) (JPT Peptide Technologies, 2024; Blood Advances, 2022). This complex is recognized by the T-cell receptors (TCRs) of CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), which are essential for controlling CMV infection and preventing disease in immunocompromised patients, such as those undergoing hematopoietic stem cell or solid organ transplantation (ResearchGate, 2025; Blood Advances, 2022). Beyond its role in infectious disease, the complex is a therapeutic target in oncology, as pp65 is frequently expressed in certain malignancies like glioblastoma and medulloblastoma (WUSTL, 2024). Therapeutic strategies include the use of CMV-specific CTLs (e.g., posoleucel), peptide vaccines (e.g., PEP-CMV), and engineered TCR-T cells designed to selectively eliminate cells presenting the viral antigen (Taylor & Francis, 2023; WUSTL, 2024). However, the effectiveness of these therapies can be challenged by viral immunoevasins like US11, which target HLA-B molecules for degradation, and the potential for graft-versus-host disease in allogeneic settings (eLife, 2024; Blood Advances, 2022).

Other names

HLA-B*07:02-TPRVTGGGAM complexHLA-B7-pp65 complexCMV pp65/HLA-B*07:02 complexHLA-B*07:02-pp65(417-426)

The complex acts as a specific recognition element for the T-cell receptor (TCR) on CD8+ T cells. Drugs targeting this complex, such as adoptive T-cell therapies, provide or expand T cells with TCRs specific for the HLA-B*07:02–pp65 epitope, which then recognize and kill cells presenting this complex via the release of cytotoxic granules (perforin/granzyme) and cytokines like IFN-gamma (Taylor & Francis, 2023; Blood Advances, 2022).