Up-regulated in lung cancer 10 antigen epitope presented by HLA-A*2402 (URLC10-HLA-A*2402)

The URLC10 antigen epitope presented by HLA-A*2402 is a specific peptide-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) target used in cancer immunotherapy. URLC10, also known as Lymphocyte antigen 6 complex locus K (LY6K), is a cancer-testis antigen that is highly overexpressed in various malignancies, particularly non-small cell lung cancer and esophageal cancer, while remaining silent in normal adult tissues except for the testis. The specific epitope, often the URLC10-177 peptide (sequence: RYCNLEGPPI), is processed and presented by the HLA-A*2402 allele, which is highly prevalent in East Asian populations. This complex serves as a docking site for T-cell receptors on cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), triggering an immune-mediated attack against tumor cells. Therapeutic strategies targeting this complex primarily involve peptide vaccines designed to expand the population of tumor-reactive CTLs in patients. Clinical studies have demonstrated that targeting this epitope can induce significant immune responses and may correlate with improved survival in specific cancer cohorts.

Other names

LY6K antigen epitopeLymphocyte antigen 6 complex locus K epitopeURLC10-177 peptideURLC10-A24 complexCancer-testis antigen URLC10

The target acts as a specific molecular signal for the immune system; peptide vaccines containing the URLC10 epitope bind to HLA-A*2402 molecules on the surface of antigen-presenting cells to induce the maturation and proliferation of epitope-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) that recognize and lyse URLC10-expressing tumor cells.