Pre-existing heterologous T-cell immunity and neoantigen immunogenicity

Neoantigens are tumor-specific mutated proteins that are exempt from central tolerance and are therefore capable of efficiently eliciting effective T-cell responses. The identification of immunogenic neoantigens in tumor-specific mutated proteins has promising clinical implications for cancer immunotherapy. However, the factors that may contribute to neoantigen immunogenicity are not yet fully understood. Through molecular mimicry of antigens arising during cancer progression, the gut microbiota and previously encountered pathogens potentially have profound impacts on T-cell responses to previously unencountered tumor neoantigens. Here, we review the characteristics of immunogenic neoantigens and how host exposure to microbes may affect T-cell responses to neoantigens. We address the hypothesis that pre-existing heterologous memory T-cell immunity is a major factor that influences neoantigen immunogenicity in individual cancer patients. Accumulating data suggest that differences in individual histories of microbial exposure should be taken into account during the optimisation of algorithms that predict neoantigen immunogenicity.