Kinesin family member 20A-derived peptide epitopes presented by HLA (KIF20A-HLA)

Kinesin family member 20A (KIF20A), also known as mitotic kinesin-like protein 2 (MKLP2), is a motor protein essential for cytokinesis during the cell cycle (UniProt O95235). While its expression is minimal in most normal adult tissues, it is significantly upregulated in a wide variety of malignancies, including pancreatic, gastric, and lung cancers (PubMed: 24333714). This differential expression makes KIF20A-derived peptides, when presented by Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) molecules on the cell surface, attractive targets for cancer immunotherapy. Therapeutic approaches such as peptide-based vaccines (e.g., KIF20A-66) and T-cell receptor (TCR) therapies are designed to prime the immune system to recognize these specific KIF20A-HLA complexes (PubMed: 23460524). By activating cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), these treatments aim to selectively eliminate cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue. Clinical trials have demonstrated that these vaccines can induce strong immune responses and may improve survival in patients with advanced cancers (PubMed: 24333714).

Other names

MKLP2-derived peptide epitopesKIF20A-derived HLA-restricted peptidesKIF20A-derived epitopesMitotic kinesin-like protein 2-derived peptides

Induction of antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) that recognize and lyse tumor cells presenting KIF20A-derived peptides on HLA molecules.