T-cell receptor recognizing patient-specific neoantigen (TCR recognizing neoantigen)

T-cell receptors (TCRs) recognizing patient-specific neoantigens are specialized immune cell receptors on T cells that directly identify and bind peptides generated by patient-specific somatic mutations (neoantigens) presented on major histocompatibility complex (MHC, or HLA in humans) molecules on tumor cells[1][4][5]. These neoantigen-reactive TCRs distinguish tumor cells from normal cells by detecting novel, non-self epitopes unique to each patient’s cancer, making them an important focus of personalized cancer immunotherapies including adoptive T cell transfer and neoantigen-based vaccines[1][2][4]. Their efficacy is determined by the underlying specificity and affinity of the TCR for the peptide–MHC complex, as well as effective antigen processing and presentation by tumor cells. While these approaches hold promise for selective tumor targeting, challenges remain regarding specificity (avoiding TCR cross-reactivity to self-antigens), tumor antigen loss/variability, and the requirement for personalized identification and validation of actionable neoantigens in each patient[1][3][5].

Other names

Neoantigen-specific T-cell receptorNeoantigen-reactive T-cell receptorTCR for neoantigenPatient-specific neoantigen TCRNeoepitope-specific T-cell receptor

Recognition and elimination of tumor cells displaying neoantigen-derived peptides on HLA molecules, via binding of TCR to peptide–MHC complexes[1][4]. Targeting through engineered TCRs or adoptive transfer of neoantigen-specific T cells[3][4].