Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) peptide 540-548 presented by HLA-A*02:01 (HLA-A*02:01/hTERT(540-548))

The HLA-A*02:01–presented hTERT 540-548 epitope is a specific peptide-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) consisting of the nonameric peptide ILAKFLHWL derived from the human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) protein. hTERT is the catalytic subunit of the telomerase enzyme, which is essential for maintaining telomere length and is overexpressed in approximately 85-90% of all human cancers, making it a nearly universal tumor-associated antigen (Vonderheide et al., 1999, Immunity). This epitope is specifically presented by the HLA-A*02:01 allele, the most prevalent MHC Class I allele in many populations, allowing for broad clinical applicability. In therapeutic contexts, this complex is targeted by cancer vaccines (e.g., UV1) and adoptive T-cell therapies (TCR-T) designed to trigger a cytotoxic CD8+ T-cell response against malignant cells (Minev et al., 2000, Cancer Research). While hTERT is highly tumor-selective, its presence in certain normal regenerative tissues like bone marrow stem cells necessitates careful monitoring for on-target off-tumor toxicities. The target represents a cornerstone of telomerase-based immunotherapy, aiming to overcome immune tolerance and achieve durable anti-tumor activity across diverse cancer types.

Other names

hTERT 540-548ILAKFLHWL peptideHLA-A2/hTERT540Telomerase reverse transcriptase epitopehTERT540HLA-A*02:01/ILAKFLHWL

Induction of a cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) response through the recognition of the hTERT 540-548 peptide presented by HLA-A*02:01, leading to the targeted destruction of telomerase-positive tumor cells.