Melanoma-associated antigen recognized by T cells 1 (MART-1) peptide presented by Human Leukocyte Antigen A*02:01 (HLA-A*02:01) (MART-1/HLA-A*02:01)

MART-1 (Melanoma-associated antigen recognized by T cells 1), also known as Melan-A, is a lineage-specific differentiation antigen expressed in melanocytes and melanoma cells (Kawakami et al., 1994, PNAS). The MART-1 peptide, typically the decamer AAGIGILTV (26-35) or the nonamer ALGIGILTV (27-35), is presented on the cell surface by the Human Leukocyte Antigen A*02:01 (HLA-A*02:01) molecule (Slansky et al., 2000, Immunity). This peptide-MHC complex is a major target for immunotherapy, particularly for CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes in HLA-A2+ patients. Therapeutic approaches include TCR-engineered T-cell (TCR-T) therapies and cancer vaccines designed to stimulate a MART-1-specific immune response (Johnson et al., 2009, Blood). Because MART-1 is also expressed in normal melanocytes in the skin, eye, and inner ear, targeting this complex can result in on-target, off-tumor toxicities such as vitiligo, uveitis, and hearing loss (Morgan et al., 2006, Science). Despite these safety concerns, the MART-1/HLA-A*02:01 complex remains a foundational model for developing and testing novel T-cell based cancer therapies.

Other names

Melan-A/HLA-A*02:01MART-1:26-35/HLA-A*02:01MART-1:27-35/HLA-A*02:01MLANA/HLA-A*02:01 complex

T-cell receptor (TCR) mediated recognition of the peptide-MHC complex leading to T-cell activation and directed lysis of the target cell.