JC virus peptide-Human Leukocyte Antigen complex (JCV-p-HLA)

The JC virus (JCV) peptide-Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) complex is a molecular target formed when host cells, such as oligodendrocytes and astrocytes, are infected by the JC polyomavirus and present viral protein fragments on their surface via HLA molecules (NIH, 2023). This complex serves as the primary recognition site for the adaptive immune system to identify and eliminate JCV-infected cells, which are the causative agents of Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML), a severe demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (Muftuoglu et al., 2018). The peptides presented are typically derived from essential viral proteins such as the VP1 capsid protein or the Large T-antigen (UniProt, 2024). Therapeutic interventions targeting this complex primarily involve adoptive T-cell therapies, including virus-specific T cells (VSTs) or TCR-engineered T cells, which are designed to recognize the specific peptide-HLA configuration and trigger a cytotoxic response against the infected cell (Jelcic et al., 2015). This target is highly specific to infected tissues, making it a focal point for treating PML in immunocompromised patients who cannot mount an effective endogenous immune response (StatPearls, 2023).

Other names

JC virus-specific peptide-MHC complexJCV-infected cell surface antigensJC polyomavirus antigen-HLA complexJCV-p-MHC

T-cell receptor-mediated recognition and cytotoxic lysis of infected cells