NY-ESO-1 peptide antigen presented by HLA-A*02:01 (NY-ESO-1/HLA-A*02:01)

The NY-ESO-1 peptide antigen presented by HLA-A*02:01 is a specific peptide-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) target found on the surface of various malignant cells. NY-ESO-1, encoded by the CTAG1B gene, is a well-characterized cancer-testis antigen that is highly expressed in numerous cancers but restricted to the testis and placenta in normal tissues (Source: UniProt CTAG1B). The specific 157-165 amino acid sequence (SLLMWITQC) is the immunodominant epitope presented by the HLA-A*02:01 allele, which is common in Caucasian populations (Source: PubMed: 10974032). Therapeutic strategies targeting this complex primarily involve engineered T-cell receptor (TCR) therapies, such as Afamitresgene autoleucel, which received FDA approval in 2024 for synovial sarcoma (Source: FDA.gov). These therapies utilize modified T cells to specifically recognize and eliminate cells displaying the NY-ESO-1/HLA-A*02:01 complex. Because the antigen is not expressed in vital normal tissues, the risk of on-target off-tumor toxicity is significantly lower compared to other tumor antigens (Source: PubMed: 25605916). Clinical development continues to explore its utility in melanoma, multiple myeloma, and various solid tumors.

Other names

NY-ESO-1 (157-165) peptide/HLA-A*02:01 complexCTAG1B peptide/HLA-A*02:01SLLMWITQC/HLA-A*02:01 complexNew York esophageal squamous cell carcinoma 1 peptide/HLA-A*02:01

Recognition of the specific peptide-MHC complex by engineered T-cell receptors (TCRs) or bispecific molecules, triggering T-cell activation and tumor cell lysis.