Neoantigen-Major Histocompatibility Complex (NeoAg-MHC) complex (NeoAg-MHC)

Patient-specific tumor-associated antigens, commonly known as neoantigens, are unique peptides derived from somatic mutations within a patient's tumor that are absent from the normal genome (Schumacher & Schreiber, Science 2015). These neoantigens are processed and presented on the cell surface by Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecules, where they are recognized by T-cell receptors (TCRs) to initiate an adaptive immune response (Sahin & Türeci, Science 2018). Because neoantigens are not subject to central tolerance, they are highly immunogenic and provide a specific target for the immune system to distinguish malignant cells from healthy tissue (Ott et al., Nature 2017). Therapeutic strategies targeting these complexes include personalized cancer vaccines, such as mRNA or peptide-based platforms, and adoptive T-cell therapies using TCR-engineered cells (Blass & Ott, Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology 2021). These interventions are designed to prime or amplify the patient's own T-cell repertoire to selectively eliminate tumor cells, offering a highly precise approach to oncology that minimizes off-target effects.

Other names

NeoantigensTumor-specific antigens (TSAs)NeoepitopesMutation-derived tumor antigensPatient-specific tumor antigensTumor-specific neoantigens (TSNAs)

Induction of de novo T-cell responses and expansion of existing neoantigen-specific T-cells to mediate tumor cell lysis.