Insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 3 peptide presented by HLA-A*24:02 (HLA-A24-IMP-3)

Insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 3 (IMP-3), also known as IGF2BP3, is an oncofetal protein that plays a critical role in RNA trafficking and stabilization during embryogenesis (UniProt: P67870). While its expression is nearly absent in normal adult tissues, it is significantly upregulated in a wide range of malignancies, including pancreatic, lung, and esophageal cancers, where it often correlates with poor prognosis and metastasis (Suda et al., 2007). The HLA-A24-presented IMP-3 peptide refers to a specific immunogenic epitope (typically the 9-mer KTVNELQNL) derived from the IMP-3 protein that is displayed on the cell surface by the HLA-A*24:02 MHC class I molecule (Tomita et al., 2011). This peptide-MHC complex acts as a specific target for cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), making it a focal point for cancer immunotherapy. Therapeutic strategies targeting this complex include peptide-based vaccines and adoptive T-cell therapies designed to stimulate a robust anti-tumor immune response in HLA-A24-positive patients (Kono et al., 2014). Because IMP-3 expression is highly tumor-specific in adults, it is considered a promising tumor-associated antigen (TAA) for targeted therapy with minimal risk of off-target toxicity to healthy tissues.

Other names

IGF2BP3 peptideIMP-3-4 peptideHLA-A*24:02-restricted IMP-3 epitopeKTVNELQNL peptideIMP3-derived HLA-A24-restricted peptide

Vaccination with the IMP-3 peptide induces the expansion of specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) that recognize the peptide-HLA-A*24:02 complex on tumor cells, leading to targeted cell lysis (Kono et al., 2014).