T cell receptor specific for Wilms' tumor protein 1 peptide-MHC complex (WT1-specific TCR)

The T cell receptor (TCR) specific for Wilms' tumor protein 1 (WT1) is a specialized protein complex found on the surface of T cells that recognizes WT1-derived peptides presented by Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecules (Sugiyama, 2010, PMID: 20624058). WT1 is a transcription factor that is highly overexpressed in various cancers, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and several solid tumors, while showing limited expression in healthy tissues (Cheever et al., 2009, PMID: 19723647). This makes the WT1 peptide-MHC complex a high-priority target for cancer immunotherapy. When the TCR binds to its specific WT1 peptide-MHC ligand at the immune synapse, it triggers T-cell activation, proliferation, and the release of cytotoxic granules to destroy the target tumor cell (Tawara et al., 2017, PMID: 28811304). Therapeutic approaches targeting this interaction primarily involve TCR-engineered T-cell (TCR-T) therapies, where a patient's T cells are modified to express a high-affinity WT1-specific TCR (Lulla et al., 2016, PMID: 27114463). These therapies aim to provide a precise and potent immune response against malignant cells that are otherwise invisible to the natural immune repertoire.

Other names

WT1-TCRWilms' tumor 1-specific T-cell receptorWT1-targeted T-cell receptorWT1-pMHC-specific TCR

The TCR specifically binds to the WT1 peptide (e.g., RMFPNAPYL) presented by MHC molecules (typically HLA-A*02:01) on the surface of tumor cells, triggering the formation of an immune synapse, T-cell activation, and subsequent directed lysis of the target cell (Sugiyama, 2010, PMID: 20624058).