New York esophageal squamous cell carcinoma 1 (157-165) peptide presented by Human leukocyte antigen A*02:01 (NY-ESO-1 (157-165)/HLA-A2)

The NY-ESO-1 157-165 peptide presented on HLA-A2 is a specific tumor-associated antigen complex that serves as a critical target for cancer immunotherapy, particularly TCR-engineered T-cell (TCR-T) therapies. NY-ESO-1, also known as Cancer/Testis Antigen 1B (CTAG1B), is a protein that is normally expressed only in the germ cells of the testis and ovary, which do not express MHC Class I molecules (UniProt P78358). However, it is frequently overexpressed in various cancers, including synovial sarcoma and melanoma, making it an ideal target for immune recognition (PubMed: 16329165). The specific amino acid sequence 157-165 (SLLMWITQC) is a dominant epitope that is processed and presented on the cell surface by the HLA-A*02:01 allele (PubMed: 9491737). Therapeutic agents like afamitresgene autoleucel (Tecelra) are designed to bind this specific peptide-MHC complex with high affinity, triggering a cytotoxic immune response against the tumor (FDA, 2024). Because the target is absent in healthy somatic tissues, it offers a wide therapeutic window, although monitoring for cytokine release syndrome and potential cross-reactivity remains essential during treatment. This target represents a paradigm in precision oncology, where the specificity of the peptide-MHC interaction is leveraged to treat solid tumors that are otherwise resistant to conventional therapies.

Other names

NY-ESO-1 p157-165/HLA-A*02:01SLLMWITQC-HLA-A*02:01 complexCTAG1B (157-165)/HLA-A2NY-ESO-1 157-165/HLA-A2

Recognition of the peptide-MHC complex by engineered T-cell receptors (TCRs) leading to T-cell activation and tumor cell lysis.