T cell receptor recognizing TARP peptide–HLA-A2 complex (TARP-specific TCR)

The T cell receptor (TCR) recognizing the TARP peptide–HLA-A2 complex is a specialized immune receptor found on or engineered into CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes. TARP (T cell receptor gamma alternate reading frame protein) is a tumor-associated antigen that is highly expressed in the majority of prostate cancers and a significant portion of breast cancers, but has limited expression in normal tissues (PMID: 11160820). This TCR specifically binds to TARP-derived peptides, such as TARP(4-13) or TARP(27-35), when they are presented on the cell surface by the HLA-A2 (specifically HLA-A*02:01) major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecule (PMID: 15150596). Upon binding, the TCR triggers T cell activation, leading to the release of cytotoxic granules and the targeted destruction of the cancer cell. In clinical development, this TCR is used in adoptive T-cell therapy, where a patient's own T cells are genetically modified to express the TARP-specific TCR to treat metastatic or treatment-resistant cancers (PMID: 28103314). This approach leverages the high specificity of the TCR to provide a potent, personalized immunotherapy for HLA-A2-positive patients with TARP-expressing malignancies.

Other names

TARP-specific T-cell receptorTCR recognizing TARP(4-13)TCR recognizing TARP(27-35)TARP-HLA-A*0201 TCRT cell receptor gamma alternate reading frame protein-specific TCR

Adoptive cell transfer of T cells engineered to express a TCR specific for the TARP peptide presented by HLA-A2, leading to targeted lysis of TARP-positive tumor cells.