Patient-specific tumor-associated antigens and neoantigens (TSA/TAA)

Patient-specific tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) and neoantigens are unique molecular markers expressed by cancer cells that serve as targets for the adaptive immune system. Neoantigens arise from somatic mutations within the tumor genome, making them highly specific to the individual patient and absent from healthy tissues, which minimizes the risk of off-target autoimmunity (Schumacher & Schreiber, 2015). In the context of dendritic cell (DC) therapy, these antigens are loaded into autologous DCs, which then process and present them on their surface via Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) class I and II molecules (Banchereau & Steinman, 1998). MHC class I presentation activates CD8+ cytotoxic T cells to directly kill tumor cells, while MHC class II presentation stimulates CD4+ helper T cells to coordinate and sustain the immune response (Neefjes et al., 2011). This personalized approach aims to overcome tumor-induced immunosuppression by generating a robust, multi-epitope T-cell response tailored to the patient's specific tumor profile. Clinical applications often involve sequencing a patient's tumor to identify these mutations and then engineering a vaccine to prime the immune system against them (Sahin & Türeci, 2018). The use of autologous dendritic cells ensures that the antigens are presented in a highly immunostimulatory context, potentially leading to long-lasting immunological memory.

Other names

Patient-specific tumor-associated antigens and neoantigens presented by autologous dendritic cells via MHC class I and IINeoantigensTumor-specific antigensPersonalized cancer antigensTSATAAMutated self-antigens

Induction of a personalized anti-tumor immune response through the presentation of tumor-specific peptides by dendritic cells to activate CD4+ and CD8+ T cells.