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Identification of Immunogenic Epitopes by MS/MS
Moreno Di Marco1, Janet Kerstin Peper, Hans-Georg Rammensee
1From the Department of Immunology, Institute for Cell Biology, University of Tübingen; and German Cancer Consortium, DKFZ Partner Site, Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Cancer Journal (Sudbury, Mass.)
|April 15, 2017
Summary
Identifying unique disease cell peptides using mass spectrometry is crucial for developing new immunotherapies. Further T cell assays are needed to confirm the immunogenicity of these disease-specific peptides.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Proteomics
- Cancer Research
Background:
- Cell surface immunogenic epitopes are key to distinguishing diseased cells from healthy ones.
- Understanding these epitopes can drive the development of novel immunotherapies for cancer, autoimmune, and infectious diseases.
- Gene or protein expression changes do not always correlate with altered peptide repertoires.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the capabilities and limitations of mass spectrometry (MS) in identifying immunopeptidomes and immunogenic epitopes.
- To focus on the application of MS in cancer research.
- To present an overview of current immunogenicity screening methods.
Main Methods:
- Mass spectrometry-based analysis for identifying altered peptide repertoires on transformed cells.
- T cell-based assays to validate the immunogenicity of identified peptides.
- Review of existing literature on immunopeptidome identification and immunogenicity screening.
Main Results:
- Mass spectrometry is indispensable for identifying altered peptide repertoires, offering more insight than gene or protein expression analysis alone.
- Peptides found exclusively on diseased cells require validation through T cell assays to confirm immunogenicity.
- The review highlights MS capabilities in identifying entire immunopeptidomes and specific epitopes, particularly in cancer.
Conclusions:
- Mass spectrometry is a powerful tool for discovering potential therapeutic targets on diseased cells.
- Validation of peptide immunogenicity through functional assays remains a critical step in immunotherapy development.
- The integration of MS and immunogenicity screening advances the field of precision medicine.