Tumor cells expressing patient-specific tumor-associated and neoantigens

Tumor cells expressing patient-specific tumor-associated and neoantigens represent a personalized therapeutic target rather than a single molecular entity. This target encompasses malignant cells that present unique peptides on their surface via Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecules, derived either from somatic mutations (neoantigens) or from proteins that are overexpressed in cancer (tumor-associated antigens) (Schumacher & Schreiber, Science 2015). By targeting these specific signatures, therapies such as personalized mRNA vaccines and adoptive cell transfers aim to direct the patient's immune system to selectively destroy tumor cells while sparing healthy tissue (Sahin & Türeci, Science 2018). This approach is central to precision oncology, addressing the high degree of inter-patient and intra-tumor heterogeneity (Blass & Ott, Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2021). However, the effectiveness of targeting these cells can be limited by mechanisms of immune evasion, such as the downregulation of MHC molecules or the development of an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Clinical development in this area focuses on identifying the most immunogenic neoantigens to include in personalized treatment regimens (Nature Reviews Cancer, 2017).

Other names

Neoantigen-expressing tumor cellsTAA-expressing tumor cellsPatient-specific cancer antigensNeoantigen-presenting cells (tumor)

Therapies targeting these cells work by priming or expanding the patient's T-cell repertoire to recognize specific peptide-MHC complexes, leading to targeted lysis of the tumor cells (Schumacher & Schreiber, Science 2015).