Survivin-derived peptide presented by MHC class I (Survivin-pMHC)

Survivin-derived peptide presented by MHC class I is a tumor-associated antigen (TAA) complex that serves as a target for cancer immunotherapy. Survivin (BIRC5) is a member of the inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) family, which is overexpressed in nearly all human cancers but largely absent in normal adult tissues (UniProt: O15392). The protein is processed intracellularly into peptides, such as the immunodominant Sur95-104 epitope, which are then presented on the cell surface by MHC class I molecules, most commonly HLA-A*02:01 (PMID: 15150593). This peptide-MHC (pMHC) complex is recognized by CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes, making it a focal point for vaccines and TCR-based therapies (PMID: 21415214). Therapeutic agents like the SurVaxM vaccine are designed to stimulate an endogenous immune response against cells displaying this complex (NCT02455557). Additionally, engineered T-cell therapies (TCR-T) are being developed to specifically bind this pMHC to induce tumor cell lysis. The high tumor-specificity of survivin expression minimizes potential damage to healthy tissues, although immune evasion through MHC downregulation remains a challenge.

Other names

BIRC5 peptide-MHC complexSurvivin-HLA complexSurvivin-derived epitopeHLA-A*02:01-restricted survivin peptideBaculoviral IAP repeat-containing protein 5 peptide-MHC

Induction of a cytotoxic T-lymphocyte response through the recognition of survivin epitopes presented on MHC class I, leading to targeted apoptosis of tumor cells.