Human leukocyte antigen A*02:01–Latent membrane protein 2 peptide complex (HLA-A*02:01–LMP2)

The HLA-A*02:01–LMP2 peptide complex is a molecular assembly consisting of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I molecule A*02:01 and a specific peptide derived from the Latent Membrane Protein 2 (LMP2) of the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) [PMID: 15141005]. This complex is primarily expressed on the surface of EBV-infected cells and EBV-associated tumor cells, such as those in nasopharyngeal carcinoma and Hodgkin lymphoma [PMID: 22499509]. Its biological function is to present viral antigens to the immune system, specifically to CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) [UniProt: P01892]. By binding to specific T-cell receptors (TCRs), the complex facilitates the recognition and subsequent lysis of malignant or infected cells [PMID: 25605861]. In the context of immunotherapy, this complex serves as a critical target for TCR-engineered T-cell therapies and therapeutic vaccines designed to enhance the host's immune response against EBV-driven malignancies [PMID: 30635454].

Other names

HLA-A*02:01/LMP2MHC-I/LMP2 complexEBV LMP2 peptide-HLA complexA2/LMP2HLA-A*02:01-restricted LMP2 epitope

The complex acts as a ligand for specific T-cell receptors (TCRs) on CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes, triggering immune-mediated destruction of cells expressing the viral peptide.