Patient-specific neoantigen epitope (Neoantigen) (Neoantigen)

Patient-specific neoantigen epitopes are unique peptide fragments derived from somatic mutations within a patient's tumor that are not found in healthy tissues. These mutations, which include single-nucleotide variants, frameshifts, and chromosomal rearrangements, create novel protein sequences that the immune system perceives as foreign or "non-self" (Schumacher & Schreiber, 2015, Science). When these peptides are processed and presented on the cell surface by Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecules, they can be recognized by the T-cell receptors (TCRs) of CD8+ and CD4+ T-cells, triggering a targeted cytotoxic immune response (Blass & Ott, 2021, Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology). Because these epitopes are entirely tumor-specific, they serve as highly precise targets for personalized immunotherapies, such as neoantigen vaccines and adoptive T-cell transfers, which aim to enhance the body's ability to eliminate cancer cells while sparing normal tissue (Sahin & Türeci, 2018, Science). The identification of these targets typically involves whole-exome sequencing of tumor and normal DNA followed by computational algorithms to predict which mutations will result in immunogenic epitopes (Xie et al., 2023, Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy).

Other names

Tumor-specific antigen (TSA)NeoepitopePersonalized neoantigenSomatic mutation-derived antigen

Induction of tumor-specific T-cell responses through the presentation of mutated peptides on MHC molecules to T-cell receptors (Sahin & Türeci, 2018, Science).