Lymphocyte antigen 6 complex locus K peptide presented by HLA-A*24:02 (HLA-A24/LY6K peptide)

The HLA-A24-presented LY6K peptide is a specific epitope derived from the Lymphocyte antigen 6 complex locus K (LY6K) protein, presented on the cell surface by the Human Leukocyte Antigen A*24:02 (HLA-A24) molecule. LY6K is a cancer-testis antigen that is significantly overexpressed in various malignancies, including non-small cell lung cancer, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and breast cancer, while remaining largely absent in normal adult tissues except for the testis (Ishikawa et al., 2007, PubMed: 19173079). This restricted expression pattern makes the HLA-A24/LY6K complex an ideal target for cancer immunotherapy, particularly in populations where the HLA-A*24:02 allele is prevalent, such as in East Asia (Suda et al., 2011, PubMed: 21159638). Therapeutic strategies targeting this complex include peptide vaccines and T-cell receptor (TCR) engineered T-cell therapies designed to induce or provide cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) that specifically recognize and eliminate LY6K-positive tumor cells. Clinical studies have demonstrated that vaccination with LY6K-derived peptides, such as LY6K-177, can elicit potent immune responses and improve overall survival in patients with advanced cancers (Kono et al., 2017, PubMed: 28103438). The specificity of this target minimizes damage to healthy tissues, though monitoring for immune-related adverse events remains necessary during treatment.

Other names

LY6K-177 peptideLY6K-derived peptideHLA-A*24:02-restricted LY6K peptideRYCNVLTAK peptide

Induction of peptide-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) that recognize and lyse tumor cells expressing the LY6K protein in the context of HLA-A*24:02.