T-cell receptor gamma chain alternate reading frame protein (TARP) (TARP)

T-cell receptor gamma chain alternate reading frame protein (TARP) is a 58-amino acid protein encoded by an alternative reading frame of the T-cell receptor gamma (TCRG) locus. Although the TCRG locus is primarily known for its role in T-cell receptor formation in lymphocytes, TARP is uniquely expressed in the epithelial cells of the prostate and in several types of cancer, including prostate, breast, and acute myeloid leukemia. Within the cell, TARP localizes to the nucleus and the outer mitochondrial membrane, where it functions to promote tumor cell growth and survival by modulating gene expression and potentially influencing mitochondrial activity. Due to its high prevalence in malignant tissues—found in approximately 95% of prostate cancers and 50% of breast cancers—and its limited presence in most normal tissues, TARP serves as a promising tumor-associated antigen for immunotherapy. Therapeutic strategies under development include peptide-based vaccines, multi-epitope vaccines, and TCR-engineered T-cell therapies, all aimed at eliciting a targeted immune response against TARP-expressing cancer cells. Clinical evaluations have shown that TARP-directed vaccines are generally well-tolerated and can stimulate immune responses that may slow the progression of prostate cancer.

Other names

TCR gamma alternate reading frame proteinTCRg alternate reading frame proteinT-cell receptor gamma-chain alternate reading frame proteinT-cell receptor alternative reading frame protein

Induction of antigen-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) response against tumor cells expressing the TARP protein.