Melanoma-associated antigen 1 (MAGE-A1) peptide presented by HLA-A*03:01 (MAGE-A1/HLA-A*03:01)

The Melanoma-associated antigen 1 (MAGE-A1) peptide presented by HLA-A*03:01 is a specific peptide-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) that serves as a target for cancer immunotherapy. MAGE-A1 is a member of the cancer-testis antigen (CTA) family, which is characterized by high expression in various malignant tumors—such as melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, and hepatocellular carcinoma—while remaining silent in healthy adult tissues, with the exception of the immune-privileged germ cells of the testis (UniProt P43355). The HLA-A*03:01 allele, a common Class I Human Leukocyte Antigen, presents the MAGE-A1-derived peptide (specifically the SLFRAVITK sequence) on the cell surface (Chaux et al., 1999). This presentation allows the immune system, specifically CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes, to recognize and eliminate cancerous cells. Therapeutic approaches targeting this complex primarily utilize engineered T-cell receptor (TCR) therapies, which are designed to bind the pMHC with high affinity and specificity to trigger a potent anti-tumor immune response. Because of its tumor-restricted expression pattern, MAGE-A1 is considered an ideal target for reducing off-tumor side effects, although the risk of cross-reactivity with similar peptides in the proteome remains a significant challenge in drug development (PubMed: 10449439).

Other names

MAGE-A1:HLA-A*03:01MAGE-A1/A3 complexMAGE-A1-A*03:01SLFRAVITK-HLA-A*03:01

T-cell receptor (TCR) mediated recognition and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) activation