Human telomerase reverse transcriptase peptide-MHC complex (hTERT pMHC)

Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) is the catalytic subunit of the telomerase enzyme complex, which maintains telomere length and is essential for the replicative immortality of cancer cells (Kim et al., 2002). While hTERT expression is tightly repressed in most normal adult somatic cells, it is significantly upregulated in approximately 85-90% of all human malignancies, making it a nearly universal tumor-associated antigen (Shay & Wright, 2006). Antigenic peptides derived from the hTERT protein are processed by the proteasome and presented on the cell surface by Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecules, specifically Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) in humans (Mizukoshi & Kaneko, 2019). These hTERT-pMHC complexes serve as the primary target for T-cell receptors (TCRs) on cytotoxic CD8+ and helper CD4+ T cells. Therapeutic interventions, such as the peptide vaccines GV1001 and UV1, are designed to prime the immune system to recognize these specific complexes and eliminate telomerase-positive cells (Kyte et al., 2011; Lilleby et al., 2017). Because hTERT is vital for tumor cell survival, targeting these peptides minimizes the risk of immune escape through antigen loss. Clinical development continues to explore TCR-engineered T-cell therapies and multi-peptide vaccines to enhance the precision and potency of the immune response against this target.

Other names

hTERT-derived antigenic peptides presented on MHC to TCRTelomerase reverse transcriptase antigenhTERT-HLA complexhTERT epitopehTERT-derived pMHC

Stimulation of peptide-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses where T-cell receptors (TCRs) recognize hTERT peptides presented by MHC molecules, leading to the targeted lysis of telomerase-positive malignant cells.