Structural maintenance of chromosomes protein 1A frameshift neoantigen (SMC1A FS neoantigen)

The Structural maintenance of chromosomes protein 1A (SMC1A) frameshift neoantigen is a tumor-specific antigen arising from frameshift mutations or aberrant splicing of the SMC1A gene, a core component of the cohesin complex (UniProt P60201). SMC1A is normally involved in sister chromatid cohesion, DNA repair, and chromosome segregation. In certain cancers, particularly those with microsatellite instability (MSI-H), frameshift events generate novel C-terminal peptide sequences that are highly immunogenic and absent in healthy tissues. These frameshift peptides (FSPs) serve as ideal targets for cancer immunotherapy, including personalized vaccines and shared neoantigen vaccines. Research has demonstrated that vaccination with SMC1A frameshift peptides can induce robust T-cell and antibody responses, leading to tumor growth inhibition in preclinical models of melanoma and breast cancer. Therapeutic strategies targeting this neoantigen are currently being explored to enhance the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors and provide new options for patients with high mutational burden tumors.

Other names

SMC1A frameshift peptideSMC1A FSSMC1A-1^4 FSSMCfshSMC1A-1^4Structural maintenance of chromosomes 1-like 1 frameshift

Induction of T-cell mediated (CD8+ and CD4+) and humoral (antibody) immune responses against tumor cells expressing the frameshifted SMC1A peptide, leading to selective tumor cell lysis.