New York esophageal squamous cell carcinoma 1 peptide presented by Human Leukocyte Antigen A*02:01 or A*02:06 (NY-ESO-1/HLA-A*02)

NY-ESO-1 (New York esophageal squamous cell carcinoma 1), encoded by the CTAG1B gene, is a prominent member of the cancer-testis antigen family. It is characterized by high expression in various malignant tumors—such as synovial sarcoma, melanoma, and multiple myeloma—while its expression in normal tissues is strictly limited to the germ cells of the testis and occasionally the placenta (PMID: 24385553). Because these normal tissues do not express MHC Class I molecules, NY-ESO-1 is an ideal target for immunotherapy. The specific 9-amino acid peptide SLLMWITQC (NY-ESO-1 157-165) is processed and presented on the cell surface by HLA-A*02:01 or HLA-A*02:06 alleles, forming a peptide-MHC (pMHC) complex (PMID: 32603455). Therapeutic strategies targeting this complex include TCR-engineered T-cell therapies (TCR-T) and bispecific T-cell engagers, such as Afamitresgene autoleucel, which was recently FDA-approved for synovial sarcoma (FDA.gov). These therapies utilize high-affinity T-cell receptors to specifically recognize the NY-ESO-1/HLA complex, triggering a potent cytotoxic immune response against the tumor cells.

Other names

NY-ESO-1:157-165/HLA-A*02 complexCTAG1B peptide-MHC complexCancer/testis antigen 1B peptide-HLA-A2SLLMWITQC-HLA-A*02:01SLLMWITQC-HLA-A*02:06

Recognition of the peptide-MHC complex by engineered T-cell receptors (TCRs) or bispecific TCR molecules, leading to T-cell mediated lysis of tumor cells.