Melanoma antigen recognized by T cells 1 (27-35) peptide-HLA-A*02:01 complex (MART-1(27-35)/HLA-A*02:01)

The MART-1 (Melanoma Antigen Recognized by T cells 1), also known as Melan-A, is a protein specifically expressed in melanocytes and melanoma cells, where it plays a role in melanosome biogenesis. The specific peptide fragment consisting of amino acids 27-35 (AAGIGILTV) is a highly immunodominant epitope that is processed and presented on the cell surface by the Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA)-A*02:01 molecule (Kawakami et al., 1994, PNAS). This peptide-MHC complex is a primary target for CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes, making it a central focus for melanoma immunotherapy (Valmori et al., 1998, Journal of Immunology). Therapeutic strategies targeting this complex include peptide-based vaccines, T-cell receptor (TCR) engineered T-cell therapies, and bispecific molecules designed to redirect T cells to melanoma cells. While effective at inducing tumor regression, targeting this complex can lead to 'on-target, off-tumor' toxicities because MART-1 is also expressed in healthy melanocytes located in the skin, retina, and inner ear (Johnson et al., 2009, Blood). Consequently, patients may experience side effects such as vitiligo, uveitis, or hearing loss during treatment.

Other names

Melan-A (27-35)/HLA-A*02:01AAGIGILTV-HLA-A*02:01 complexMART-1 peptide-MHC complexMelanoma antigen recognized by T cells 1 (27-35) presented by Human Leukocyte Antigen A*02:01

T-cell receptor (TCR) binding, T-cell mediated cytotoxicity, Induction of antigen-specific CD8+ T-cell response