Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog G12C 9-mer peptide presented by Human Leukocyte Antigen A*11:01 (KRAS G12C/HLA-A*11:01 (9-mer))

The Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) G12C 9-mer peptide presented by Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) A*11:01 is a tumor-specific neoantigen complex displayed on the surface of malignant cells (NIH, 2023; JCI, 2024). This complex consists of a 9-amino acid peptide fragment (typically VVGACGVGK) derived from the mutated KRAS protein, where glycine at position 12 is replaced by cysteine, bound to the HLA-A*11:01 major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecule (IEDB, 2026; Frontiers in Immunology, 2026). This pMHC complex serves as a highly specific target for immunotherapy, as the G12C mutation is a driver of oncogenesis in various solid tumors, including non-small cell lung cancer and colorectal cancer, but is absent in healthy tissues (NIH, 2023; WAOCP, 2025). HLA-A*11:01 is a common allele, particularly in East Asian populations, making this target clinically significant for a large patient demographic (NIH, 2023; Frontiers in Oncology, 2026). Therapeutic strategies targeting this complex include T-cell receptor-engineered T-cell (TCR-T) therapies and neoantigen vaccines, such as ELI-002, which aim to induce a potent and specific cytotoxic T-cell response against tumor cells (ASCO, 2024; Larvol, 2024). A major challenge in targeting this 9-mer is ensuring high TCR specificity to avoid cross-reactivity with the wild-type KRAS sequence or other similar self-peptides, as well as addressing potential immune evasion through HLA downregulation (JCI, 2024; ResearchGate, 2025). Recent structural studies suggest that while the 10-mer variant may be more stable, the 9-mer remains a recognized epitope for specific TCRs (IEDB, 2026; Communications Biology, 2025).

Other names

KRAS G12C (VVGACGVGK) presented by HLA-A*11:01HLA-A*11:01-restricted KRAS G12C 9-merKRAS G12C 9-mer neoantigenVVGACGVGK/HLA-A*11:01 complexKRAS G12C 9-mer peptide-MHC complex

T-cell receptor (TCR) recognition of the peptide-MHC complex on the tumor cell surface, leading to the formation of an immunological synapse, T-cell activation, and subsequent release of cytotoxic granules to induce tumor cell apoptosis (JCI, 2024; Communications Biology, 2025).