Tumor-associated antigen and neoantigen peptide (TAA/Neoantigen)

Tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) and neoantigen peptides represent a diverse class of immunotherapy targets consisting of short amino acid sequences presented by Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecules [1, 2]. TAAs include proteins that are overexpressed in tumors (e.g., HER2), differentiation antigens (e.g., gp100), or cancer-testis antigens (e.g., MAGE-A1), which are also present in some normal tissues [3, 4]. In contrast, neoantigens are derived from non-synonymous somatic mutations, making them strictly tumor-specific and highly immunogenic due to the lack of central thymic tolerance [2, 5]. These peptides are the foundational components for developing personalized cancer vaccines (mRNA, DNA, or peptide-based) and TCR-engineered T-cell therapies [5, 7]. Therapeutic success depends on the precise identification of immunogenic epitopes and the ability to overcome tumor-mediated immunosuppression [3, 5]. Current clinical development focuses on combining these antigen-targeted therapies with checkpoint inhibitors to enhance the breadth and durability of the anti-tumor immune response [7, 8].

Other names

Tumor-specific antigenTSACancer-testis antigenCTANeoepitopeMutated self-antigenOncofetal antigen

Induction of a specific T-cell mediated immune response through the presentation of tumor-specific or tumor-associated peptide sequences on MHC molecules to activate cytotoxic T-lymphocytes [2, 5].