Human papillomavirus type 16 E7-derived peptide presented by HLA-A*02:01 on MHC class I (HPV16 E7/HLA-A*02:01)

The Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) E7-derived peptide presented by HLA-A*02:01 on MHC class I is a specific peptide-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) that serves as a critical target for immunotherapies against HPV-driven cancers. HPV16 E7 is an essential oncoprotein that promotes malignant transformation by binding and inactivating the retinoblastoma protein (pRb), leading to dysregulated cell cycle progression (Munger et al., 2004). In patients with the HLA-A*02:01 allele, specific E7 epitopes, such as the E7 11-19 (YMLDLQPET) or 82-90 (LLMGTLGIV) sequences, are processed and presented on the cell surface (Ressing et al., 1995). This complex is targeted by various therapeutic modalities, including T-cell receptor (TCR) engineered T-cell therapies, bispecific molecules like CUE-101, and therapeutic vaccines like BNT113, which aim to direct cytotoxic T-lymphocytes to eliminate tumor cells (Draper et al., 2015; Cue Biopharma). Because E7 is a non-self viral protein exclusively expressed in infected or cancerous tissues, it provides a high therapeutic index with minimal risk of targeting healthy cells. However, therapeutic challenges include potential off-target cross-reactivity with self-peptides and immune evasion through HLA downregulation (Linette et al., 2013; Garrido et al., 2016).

Other names

HPV16 E7 peptide-HLA-A*02:01 complexE7:HLA-A*02:01 complexHPV16 E7 (11-19) epitopeHPV16 E7 (82-90) epitopeHPV16 E7-MHC class I complex

T-cell receptor (TCR) binding and activation of cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs) leading to targeted lysis of HPV16-positive cells; induction of antigen-specific immune responses via therapeutic vaccination.