Neoantigen-reactive T cell (NRT cell)

Neoantigen-reactive T cells (NRT cells), often referred to as neoantigen-specific T cells, are cytotoxic and/or helper T lymphocytes that specifically recognize and respond to tumor-expressed neoantigens—peptides resulting from tumor-specific, nonsynonymous mutations not found in normal tissues. Rather than a molecular drug target such as a receptor or enzyme, the term refers to adaptive immune cells generated or expanded for immunotherapy, particularly in approaches such as tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy, personalized adoptive T cell transfer, or neoantigen vaccine induction. Induction of a neoantigen-specific T cell response has become a major goal in precision cancer immunotherapy, with robust evidence showing these T cells can mediate tumor regression and establish long-term immune memory in patients with melanoma and other solid cancers. Therapies primarily consist of: - Ex vivo expansion and reinfusion of tumor-reactive T cells (e.g., BNT221, which involves priming peripheral blood T cells to neoantigens using vaccination or dendritic cell presentation, leading to NRT cell products infused back into patients) - Vaccines (e.g., NeoVax, peptide or mRNA vaccines designed to elicit endogenous NRT responses) Mechanistically, neoantigen-specific T cells exert anti-tumor effects via MHC-restricted cytotoxicity, cytokine production, and induction of tumor cell apoptosis. Measurement of their induction, persistence, clonality, and functional status serves as a biomarker for the efficacy of these approaches. In summary, "neoantigen-specific T cell response induction" describes an immunological process and a therapeutic strategy, not a discrete molecular target or receptor, which means the entry is not appropriate under standard drug target classifications.

Other names

neoantigen-specific T cellneoantigen-reactive T cellNRT cell

not applicable to cell as a target; see description