Preferentially expressed antigen in melanoma-presented peptide–human leukocyte antigen complex (PRAME-pHLA)

The Preferentially expressed antigen in melanoma (PRAME)-presented peptide–human leukocyte antigen (HLA) complex is a cell-surface molecular assembly consisting of a peptide fragment derived from the intracellular PRAME protein bound to an HLA molecule, typically HLA-A*02:01 [1, 6]. PRAME is a member of the cancer-testis antigen family, which is highly expressed in various malignancies—including melanoma, uveal melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, and ovarian cancer—while remaining largely absent in healthy adult tissues except for the testes and ovaries [2, 5, 18]. This differential expression makes the PRAME-HLA complex an ideal target for precision immunotherapy [3, 17]. Therapeutic strategies targeting this complex include T-cell receptor (TCR)-engineered T cells (TCR-T), bispecific T-cell engagers (BiTEs or ImmTACs), and TCR-mimetic antibodies [1, 8, 11]. These agents are designed to recognize the specific peptide-HLA configuration, redirecting the immune system to selectively eliminate PRAME-positive tumor cells [4, 7, 10].

Other names

PRAME-pMHC complexPRAME peptide-HLA complexPRAME-HLA-A*02:01 complexPRAME-HLA-A*24:02 complexPRAME-HLA-A2 complexPRAME-presented peptide–HLA complex

T-cell redirection and activation via T-cell receptor (TCR) mediated recognition of the specific peptide-HLA complex, leading to tumor cell lysis [1, 11].