Human leukocyte antigen A*24:02 presenting human telomerase reverse transcriptase 324-332 epitope (HLA-A*24:02/hTERT324-332)

The HLA-A*24:02 peptide-binding groove presenting the hTERT324-332 epitope is a specific peptide-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) class I molecule that serves as a critical target for cancer immunotherapy. Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) is the catalytic subunit of telomerase, an enzyme that maintains telomere length and is overexpressed in over 90% of human malignancies, while being largely absent in normal somatic cells (PMID: 10491260). The hTERT324-332 epitope (sequence: VYAETKFTL) is a nonameric peptide that binds with high affinity to the HLA-A*24:02 allele, a common MHC class I molecule particularly prevalent in East Asian populations (PMID: 11544050). This complex is presented on the surface of tumor cells and is recognized by specific CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), which initiate programmed cell death upon binding (PMID: 12123804). Therapeutic interventions targeting this specific pMHC include peptide-based vaccines, TCR-engineered T-cell (TCR-T) therapies, and TCR-like antibodies designed to recognize the peptide-HLA interface (PMID: 30633432). Because hTERT is essential for the immortality of cancer cells, this target is considered highly stable and less prone to antigen loss compared to other tumor-associated antigens.

Other names

HLA-A*24:02/hTERT(324-332)HLA-A24-hTERT-324VYAETKFTL-HLA-A*24:02 complexhTERT324-332/HLA-A*24:02pMHC HLA-A*24:02:hTERT324

The complex acts as a ligand for specific T-cell receptors (TCRs) on CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes, triggering an immune response and subsequent lysis of cells expressing telomerase reverse transcriptase.