Wilms tumor protein 1 (WT1) derived peptide epitopes (WT1 epitopes)

Wilms tumor protein 1 (WT1) is a zinc finger transcription factor that plays a critical role in the development of the urogenital system and the regulation of cell proliferation and apoptosis (UniProt: P19544). While WT1 expression is minimal in healthy adult tissues, it is significantly overexpressed in a wide range of malignancies, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and various solid tumors, leading the National Cancer Institute to rank it as a top priority for cancer antigen research (PubMed: 19723653). WT1-derived peptide epitopes are short sequences of the WT1 protein that are processed and presented on the cell surface by Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) molecules. These epitopes are targeted by immunotherapies, such as peptide vaccines like Galinpepimut-S and TCR-engineered T-cell therapies, which aim to trigger a cytotoxic T-lymphocyte response against cancer cells (PubMed: 30154091). By specifically recognizing these peptide-MHC complexes, the immune system can selectively eliminate malignant cells while sparing most normal tissues. Clinical development focuses on using these epitopes to treat patients with high-risk or relapsed cancers where WT1 is highly expressed.

Other names

WT1 peptidesWilms tumor 1 antigenWT1-derived HLA-restricted peptidesWT1-derived T-cell epitopes

Induction of a specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) response against cells presenting WT1-derived peptides on MHC class I or II molecules.