p53 peptide–HLA-A*0201 complex

The p53 peptide/HLA-A*0201 complex is a peptide-major histocompatibility complex formed when a nine-amino-acid peptide from the tumor suppressor protein p53 is presented by the HLA-A*0201 MHC class I molecule on the surface of cells. In cancer, p53 is often mutated or stabilized, resulting in increased intracellular levels and enhanced peptide presentation. This complex is recognized by cytotoxic T cells and is a validated immunological target for TCR-based and TCR-mimetic immunotherapies, due to its specific expression on a wide range of tumor cells but limited display on normal tissue, thereby enabling selective targeting of malignant cells in HLA-A*0201-positive patients[1][4].

Other names

p53/HLA-A2 complexp53-derived peptide–HLA-A*0201 complexp53 peptide–MHC class I (HLA-A2) complexTumor-associated p53 peptide–MHC complex

TCR mimetic antibodies or engineered T cells recognize the p53-derived peptide presented by HLA-A*0201, binding specifically to tumor cells overexpressing or abnormally presenting p53 antigens, thereby inducing targeted cytotoxicity[1][4]. These therapies leverage the differential presentation of p53 peptides in cancer versus normal tissues to selectively target tumor cells[1].