Human leukocyte antigen A*24:02 (HLA-A*24:02)

Human leukocyte antigen A*24:02 (HLA-A*24:02) is a specific allele of the HLA-A gene, which encodes a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I heavy chain [4, 15]. As a cell-surface glycoprotein, it non-covalently associates with beta-2 microglobulin to form a functional receptor that presents endogenous peptides, typically 8-10 amino acids in length, to CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes [10, 12]. This allele is highly prevalent in East Asian populations, including Japanese and Chinese cohorts, making it a critical focus for regional immunotherapy and pharmacogenomics [1, 6]. In oncology, HLA-A*24:02 is a primary target for peptide-based vaccines and T-cell receptor (TCR) engineered therapies designed to recognize tumor-associated antigens such as alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and mammaglobin-A [6, 13]. Beyond its role in cancer, HLA-A*24:02 is a significant genetic marker for drug safety; it is strongly associated with severe cutaneous adverse drug reactions (cADRs), including Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis, in patients treated with aromatic antiepileptic drugs like carbamazepine and lamotrigine [3, 7, 9]. Consequently, HLA-A*24:02 serves as both a therapeutic target for inducing immune responses against pathogens or tumors and a diagnostic biomarker for predicting drug hypersensitivity [11, 16].

Other names

HLA-A24HLA-A*2402MHC class I antigen A*24:02Human MHC class I antigen HLA-A*24:02

HLA-A*24:02 functions by presenting intracellularly derived peptides to CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes, thereby initiating a targeted immune response. In immunotherapy, it serves as a platform for presenting tumor-associated antigens to engineered T cells or vaccine-induced T cells. In drug hypersensitivity, it facilitates the activation of T cells against drug-modified self-peptides or through direct drug-HLA binding.