HLA class I antigen A*2402 alpha chain (HLA-A*24:02)

HLA class I antigen A*2402 alpha chain is a specific allele of the Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) A locus, part of the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) class I system. It is responsible for presenting intracellularly derived peptides to CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes, a process vital for the immune system to identify and destroy virally infected or cancerous cells (UniProt P01892). This particular allele is highly prevalent in East Asian populations, including Japanese and Chinese cohorts, making it a primary focus for regional immunotherapy development (PMID: 25135336). In clinical oncology, HLA-A*24:02 serves as a critical restriction element for various cancer-testis antigens like NY-ESO-1 and Wilms' tumor 1 (WT1). Therapeutic interventions include peptide vaccines designed to load the HLA-A*24:02 molecule and TCR-T cell therapies engineered to recognize specific peptide-HLA complexes on tumor surfaces (PMID: 30635454). Understanding the binding motifs of HLA-A*24:02 is essential for the design of precision immunotherapies targeting solid tumors and hematological malignancies.

Other names

HLA-A*24:02HLA-A24MHC class I antigen A*2402Human leukocyte antigen A*2402HLA-A*24:02:01:01

Drugs targeting this molecule function as peptide vaccines that bind to the HLA-A*24:02 groove to stimulate a CD8+ T-cell response, or as TCR-engineered T-cell therapies (TCR-T) that specifically recognize and kill cells presenting target peptides in the context of the HLA-A*24:02 molecule.