Patient-specific lung cancer-associated neoantigen peptide (Neoantigen)

Patient-specific lung cancer-associated neoantigen peptides are unique protein fragments resulting from non-synonymous somatic mutations—such as single nucleotide variants (SNVs) or frameshifts—found exclusively within an individual's tumor cells (Zhang et al., Journal of Hematology & Oncology, 2021). Because these peptides are not expressed in healthy tissues, they are recognized as foreign by the immune system when presented on the cell surface by Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecules, also known as Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA) (NCI Dictionary, 2024). Lung cancers, particularly those with high tobacco exposure, often exhibit a high tumor mutational burden (TMB), providing a diverse pool of potential neoantigens for therapeutic targeting. Current therapeutic strategies involve identifying these mutations through next-generation sequencing (NGS) and developing personalized vaccines (mRNA, DNA, or peptide-based) or adoptive T-cell therapies to prime the patient's immune system against the tumor (Sahin & Türeci, Science, 2018). This precision medicine approach aims to maximize anti-tumor efficacy while minimizing off-target toxicity, although it faces challenges regarding tumor heterogeneity and the speed of personalized manufacturing.

Other names

Tumor-specific antigen (TSA)NeoepitopeSomatic mutation-derived antigenPersonalized cancer antigenTumor-specific neoantigen

Induction of a de novo, patient-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) and helper T-cell response by presenting synthetic or encoded neoepitopes via Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecules to the immune system (Ott et al., Nature, 2017).