Human leukocyte antigen A*24:02-presented TTK protein kinase peptide epitope (HLA-A*24:02-TTK)

The HLA-A*24:02–presented TTK peptide epitope is a specific peptide-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) found on the surface of cancer cells. TTK, also known as Monopolar Spindle 1 (MPS1), is a dual-specificity protein kinase that plays a critical role in the spindle assembly checkpoint during mitosis, ensuring proper chromosome segregation (PMID: 24954304). While TTK expression is low in most normal adult tissues, it is significantly upregulated in various malignancies, including esophageal, pancreatic, and breast cancers, making it a viable tumor-associated antigen (PMID: 18483465). The specific epitope is a short amino acid sequence (often the TTK-567 peptide, SYRNEIAYL) derived from the TTK protein that is processed and presented by the HLA-A*24:02 allele, which is particularly prevalent in East Asian populations. This complex serves as a target for immunotherapies, such as peptide-based vaccines and T-cell receptor (TCR) engineered T-cell therapies, designed to induce a cytotoxic T-lymphocyte response. By targeting this specific pMHC, these therapies aim to selectively eliminate cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue that lacks the complex (PMID: 20670953).

Other names

HLA-A*24:02-restricted TTK epitopeTTK-567 peptide-MHC complexMPS1 peptide epitopeTTK-derived peptide-HLA-A*24:02 complexSYRNEIAYL-HLA-A*24:02 complex

Therapeutic agents target this complex to induce or provide a specific immune response. Peptide vaccines (e.g., TTK-567) stimulate endogenous cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs) to recognize the epitope, while TCR-T therapies provide engineered T cells with high affinity for the HLA-A*24:02-TTK complex, leading to direct lysis of tumor cells (PMID: 18483465, 24954304).