Human leukocyte antigen A*2402 (HLA-A*2402)

HLA-A*2402 is one of the most prevalent HLA class I alleles in Asian populations and is common worldwide. It encodes a cell-surface glycoprotein that binds short peptides derived from intracellular proteins, presenting them to CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes and thereby initiating adaptive immune responses. Its peptide-binding groove accommodates anchor residues at positions 2 and 9 of the bound peptide, with a pronounced preference for tyrosine and phenylalanine at position 2 and leucine or phenylalanine at position 9, which confers specificity for epitope recognition. HLA-A*2402 is extensively studied for its role in viral immunity, cancer immunotherapy (especially peptide-based vaccines and T-cell therapies), and transplant compatibility. The structure-function relationship of HLA-A*2402 determines immunodominance of presented epitopes and influences disease outcomes and therapeutic response.

Other names

HLA-A24A*24:02HLA-A24:02

Presentation of specific antigenic peptides to cytotoxic T lymphocytes, leading to T cell-mediated killing of target cells (e.g., tumor or infected cells)