Patient-specific lung cancer-associated neoantigen epitopes presented by MHC to T-cell receptors (NeoAg-MHC)

Patient-specific lung cancer-associated neoantigen epitopes are unique peptide sequences resulting from somatic mutations in the tumor genome that are not present in the germline (Schumacher et al., Science, 2015). These neoepitopes are processed by the proteasome and presented on the surface of cancer cells by Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) Class I or II molecules (Sahin & Türeci, Science, 2018). The resulting peptide-MHC complex serves as a highly specific target for T-cell receptors (TCRs), allowing the immune system to distinguish malignant cells from healthy tissue (Zhang et al., Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, 2021). In lung cancer, particularly non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), a high tumor mutational burden (TMB) often leads to a diverse repertoire of these neoantigens, making them prime candidates for personalized immunotherapy (Gubin et al., Nature, 2014). Therapeutic interventions, such as personalized mRNA vaccines or adoptive T-cell therapies, are designed to amplify the patient's own immune response against these specific molecular signatures (Ott et al., Nature, 2017). By targeting neoantigens, these therapies aim to achieve potent anti-tumor activity while minimizing off-target effects on normal cells.

Other names

Tumor-specific neoantigens (TSNAs)NeoepitopesTumor-specific antigens (TSAs)Personalized cancer antigensSomatic mutation-derived antigens

Induction of a polyclonal T-cell response directed against unique tumor mutations presented on MHC molecules to facilitate selective tumor cell lysis.