Ras homolog family member C-derived peptide antigen presented on HLA molecules (RhoC peptide-HLA)

Ras homolog family member C (RhoC) is a small GTPase that plays a critical role in the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton, cell motility, and the metastatic spread of cancer cells (PMID: 32814630). While RhoC shares high sequence homology with RhoA, its expression is specifically upregulated in various metastatic tumors, making it a viable tumor-associated antigen (PMID: 24755471). RhoC-derived peptides are processed intracellularly and presented on the cell surface by Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) molecules, where they can be recognized by the immune system as foreign or aberrant (PMID: 24755471). Therapeutic strategies, such as peptide vaccines like IO-102, aim to stimulate RhoC-specific T cells to identify and eliminate cancer cells that overexpress this protein (IO Biotech, 2024). By targeting the metastatic machinery of the cell, these therapies seek to prevent or treat advanced stages of cancer where RhoC is a dominant driver of disease progression (PMID: 32814630).

Other names

RhoC peptideRhoC-derived antigenRhoC-HLA complexRas homolog gene family member C peptideRhoC-derived peptide vaccine target

Induction of specific T-cell mediated immune responses, primarily CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes, against cells presenting RhoC-derived peptides on their surface HLA molecules (PMID: 24755471).