T-cell receptor specific for carcinoembryonic antigen peptide (CEA-specific TCR)

The **T-cell receptor specific for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) peptide** refers to a genetically engineered or naturally occurring T-cell receptor (TCR) that recognizes a peptide epitope derived from CEA—most frequently the CEA:691-699 peptide—when presented in the context of HLA-A2.1 by target cells. CEA is a glycoprotein overexpressed in many epithelial cancers, notably colorectal cancer, but also found at lower levels in normal gastrointestinal epithelial tissues. CEA-specific TCRs are isolated from immunized hosts (such as HLA-transgenic mice) or engineered for higher affinity/avidity through amino acid substitution, often in the complementarity-determining region (CDR) loops of the receptor[1][4][2]. These TCRs are used to genetically modify T cells for adoptive cellular therapy against CEA-positive tumors. Functional studies show that such TCRs mediate antigen-specific T cell activation, cytokine secretion, and tumor cell lysis. However, because CEA is not entirely tumor specific, targeting it can cause immune responses against normal tissues expressing CEA, as evidenced by dose-limiting colitis in clinical studies[4]. These therapies exemplify the promise and the risk of TCR-based immunotherapies in solid tumors.

Other names

CEA-reactive T-cell receptoranti-CEA T-cell receptorCEA:691-699-specific TCRcarcinoembryonic antigen-specific TCR

Recognition of CEA peptide presented by HLA-A2.1 on tumor cells, leading to activation of engineered T cells, cytokine release (e.g., IFN-γ), and direct killing of CEA-expressing cancer cells[4][1]