Up-regulated in lung cancer 10 (URLC10) epitope presented by HLA-A*24:02 (URLC10-A24)

Up-regulated in lung cancer 10 (URLC10), also known as Lymphocyte Antigen 6 Family Member K (LY6K), is a cancer-testis antigen that is significantly overexpressed in various malignancies, including non-small cell lung cancer, gastric cancer, and esophageal cancer, while remaining largely absent in normal adult tissues except for the testis (PubMed: 15642750). The HLA-A*2402-presented URLC10 epitope refers to a specific peptide fragment (typically URLC10-163) that is processed and displayed on the cell surface by the HLA-A*24:02 major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecule (PubMed: 21533560). This peptide-MHC complex is specifically recognized by the T-cell receptors (TCRs) of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), which then trigger the destruction of the cancer cell. Because the HLA-A*24:02 allele is highly prevalent in East Asian populations, this epitope represents a significant target for personalized immunotherapy in these regions. Therapeutic interventions, such as the OTS102 peptide vaccine, aim to stimulate the patient's immune system to generate a robust CTL response against cells presenting this specific epitope (PubMed: 24903443). Clinical studies have demonstrated that targeting this epitope can induce measurable immune responses and potentially improve survival outcomes in patients with URLC10-positive tumors (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01213407).

Other names

URLC10-163 peptideHLA-A*24:02-restricted URLC10 antigenLY6K-derived epitopeURLC10-A2402 complex

Induction of antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) that recognize and lyse tumor cells presenting the URLC10 peptide on HLA-A*24:02.