1
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Koncz B, Balogh GM, Manczinger M. A journey to your self: The vague definition of immune self and its practical implications. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2309674121. [PMID: 38722806 PMCID: PMC11161755 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2309674121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The identification of immunogenic peptides has become essential in an increasing number of fields in immunology, ranging from tumor immunotherapy to vaccine development. The nature of the adaptive immune response is shaped by the similarity between foreign and self-protein sequences, a concept extensively applied in numerous studies. Can we precisely define the degree of similarity to self? Furthermore, do we accurately define immune self? In the current work, we aim to unravel the conceptual and mechanistic vagueness hindering the assessment of self-similarity. Accordingly, we demonstrate the remarkably low consistency among commonly employed measures and highlight potential avenues for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balázs Koncz
- Synthetic and Systems Biology Unit, Institute of Biochemistry, Hungarian Research Network (HUN-REN) Biological Research Centre, Szeged6726, Hungary
- Hungarian Centre of Excellence for Molecular Medicine - Biological Research Centre (HCEMM-BRC) Systems Immunology Research Group, Szeged6726, Hungary
- Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University of Szeged, Szeged6720, Hungary
| | - Gergő Mihály Balogh
- Synthetic and Systems Biology Unit, Institute of Biochemistry, Hungarian Research Network (HUN-REN) Biological Research Centre, Szeged6726, Hungary
- Hungarian Centre of Excellence for Molecular Medicine - Biological Research Centre (HCEMM-BRC) Systems Immunology Research Group, Szeged6726, Hungary
- Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University of Szeged, Szeged6720, Hungary
| | - Máté Manczinger
- Synthetic and Systems Biology Unit, Institute of Biochemistry, Hungarian Research Network (HUN-REN) Biological Research Centre, Szeged6726, Hungary
- Hungarian Centre of Excellence for Molecular Medicine - Biological Research Centre (HCEMM-BRC) Systems Immunology Research Group, Szeged6726, Hungary
- Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University of Szeged, Szeged6720, Hungary
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2
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Larouche JD, Laumont CM, Trofimov A, Vincent K, Hesnard L, Brochu S, Côté C, Humeau JF, Bonneil É, Lanoix J, Durette C, Gendron P, Laverdure JP, Richie ER, Lemieux S, Thibault P, Perreault C. Transposable elements regulate thymus development and function. eLife 2024; 12:RP91037. [PMID: 38635416 PMCID: PMC11026094 DOI: 10.7554/elife.91037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) are repetitive sequences representing ~45% of the human and mouse genomes and are highly expressed by medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs). In this study, we investigated the role of TEs on T-cell development in the thymus. We performed multiomic analyses of TEs in human and mouse thymic cells to elucidate their role in T-cell development. We report that TE expression in the human thymus is high and shows extensive age- and cell lineage-related variations. TE expression correlates with multiple transcription factors in all cell types of the human thymus. Two cell types express particularly broad TE repertoires: mTECs and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs). In mTECs, transcriptomic data suggest that TEs interact with transcription factors essential for mTEC development and function (e.g., PAX1 and REL), and immunopeptidomic data showed that TEs generate MHC-I-associated peptides implicated in thymocyte education. Notably, AIRE, FEZF2, and CHD4 regulate small yet non-redundant sets of TEs in murine mTECs. Human thymic pDCs homogenously express large numbers of TEs that likely form dsRNA, which can activate innate immune receptors, potentially explaining why thymic pDCs constitutively secrete IFN ɑ/β. This study highlights the diversity of interactions between TEs and the adaptive immune system. TEs are genetic parasites, and the two thymic cell types most affected by TEs (mTEcs and pDCs) are essential to establishing central T-cell tolerance. Therefore, we propose that orchestrating TE expression in thymic cells is critical to prevent autoimmunity in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-David Larouche
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
- Department of Medicine, Université de MontréalMontréalCanada
| | - Céline M Laumont
- Deeley Research Centre, BC CancerVictoriaCanada
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British ColumbiaVancouverCanada
| | - Assya Trofimov
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
- Department of Computer Science and Operations Research, Université de MontréalMontréalCanada
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer CenterSeattleUnited States
- Department of Physics, University of WashingtonSeattleUnited States
| | - Krystel Vincent
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
| | - Leslie Hesnard
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
| | - Sylvie Brochu
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
| | - Caroline Côté
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
| | - Juliette F Humeau
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
| | - Éric Bonneil
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
| | - Joel Lanoix
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
| | - Chantal Durette
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
| | - Patrick Gendron
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
| | | | - Ellen R Richie
- Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer CenterHoustonUnited States
| | - Sébastien Lemieux
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
| | - Pierre Thibault
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
- Department of Chemistry, Université de MontréalMontréalCanada
| | - Claude Perreault
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de MontréalMontrealCanada
- Department of Medicine, Université de MontréalMontréalCanada
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3
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Larson AC, Knoche SM, Brumfield GL, Doty KR, Gephart BD, Moore-Saufley PR, Solheim JC. Gemcitabine Modulates HLA-I Regulation to Improve Tumor Antigen Presentation by Pancreatic Cancer Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3211. [PMID: 38542184 PMCID: PMC10970070 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25063211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is a lethal disease, harboring a five-year overall survival rate of only 13%. Current treatment approaches thus require modulation, with attention shifting towards liberating the stalled efficacy of immunotherapies. Select chemotherapy drugs which possess inherent immune-modifying behaviors could revitalize immune activity against pancreatic tumors and potentiate immunotherapeutic success. In this study, we characterized the influence of gemcitabine, a chemotherapy drug approved for the treatment of pancreatic cancer, on tumor antigen presentation by human leukocyte antigen class I (HLA-I). Gemcitabine increased pancreatic cancer cells' HLA-I mRNA transcripts, total protein, surface expression, and surface stability. Temperature-dependent assay results indicated that the increased HLA-I stability may be due to reduced binding of low affinity peptides. Mass spectrometry analysis confirmed changes in the HLA-I-presented peptide pool post-treatment, and computational predictions suggested improved affinity and immunogenicity of peptides displayed solely by gemcitabine-treated cells. Most of the gemcitabine-exclusive peptides were derived from unique source proteins, with a notable overrepresentation of translation-related proteins. Gemcitabine also increased expression of select immunoproteasome subunits, providing a plausible mechanism for its modulation of the HLA-I-bound peptidome. Our work supports continued investigation of immunotherapies, including peptide-based vaccines, to be used with gemcitabine as new combination treatment modalities for pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alaina C. Larson
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer & Allied Diseases, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Shelby M. Knoche
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer & Allied Diseases, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Gabrielle L. Brumfield
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer & Allied Diseases, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Kenadie R. Doty
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer & Allied Diseases, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Benjamin D. Gephart
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer & Allied Diseases, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | | | - Joyce C. Solheim
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer & Allied Diseases, Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
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4
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Huang X, Gan Z, Cui H, Lan T, Liu Y, Caron E, Shao W. The SysteMHC Atlas v2.0, an updated resource for mass spectrometry-based immunopeptidomics. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:D1062-D1071. [PMID: 38000392 PMCID: PMC10767952 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad1068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The SysteMHC Atlas v1.0 was the first public repository dedicated to mass spectrometry-based immunopeptidomics. Here we introduce a newly released version of the SysteMHC Atlas v2.0 (https://systemhc.sjtu.edu.cn), a comprehensive collection of 7190 MS files from 303 allotypes. We extended and optimized a computational pipeline that allows the identification of MHC-bound peptides carrying on unexpected post-translational modifications (PTMs), thereby resulting in 471K modified peptides identified over 60 distinct PTM types. In total, we identified approximately 1.0 million and 1.1 million unique peptides for MHC class I and class II immunopeptidomes, respectively, indicating a 6.8-fold increase and a 28-fold increase to those in v1.0. The SysteMHC Atlas v2.0 introduces several new features, including the inclusion of non-UniProt peptides, and the incorporation of several novel computational tools for FDR estimation, binding affinity prediction and motif deconvolution. Additionally, we enhanced the user interface, upgraded website framework, and provided external links to other resources related. Finally, we built and provided various spectral libraries as community resources for data mining and future immunopeptidomic and proteomic analysis. We believe that the SysteMHC Atlas v2.0 is a unique resource to provide key insights to the immunology and proteomics community and will accelerate the development of vaccines and immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxiang Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Science & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Ziao Gan
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Science & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Haowei Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Science & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Tian Lan
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Science & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yansheng Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Etienne Caron
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Wenguang Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic & Developmental Sciences, School of Life Science & Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
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5
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Kapoor S, Maréchal L, Sirois I, Caron É. Scaling up robust immunopeptidomics technologies for a global T cell surveillance digital network. J Exp Med 2024; 221:e20231739. [PMID: 38032361 PMCID: PMC10689202 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20231739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The human immunopeptidome plays a central role in disease susceptibility and resistance. In our opinion, the development of immunopeptidomics and other peptide sequencing technologies should be prioritized during the next decade, particularly within the framework of the Human Immunopeptidome Project initiative. In this context, we present bold ideas, fresh arguments, and call upon industrial partners and funding organizations to support and champion this important initiative that we believe has the potential to save countless lives in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saketh Kapoor
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Loïze Maréchal
- CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Isabelle Sirois
- CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Étienne Caron
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
- Yale Center for Immuno-Oncology, Yale Center for Systems and Engineering Immunology, Yale Center for Infection and Immunity, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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6
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Ma Y, Li Y, Wu T, Li Y, Wang Q. Astragaloside IV Attenuates Programmed Death-Ligand 1-Mediated Immunosuppression during Liver Cancer Development via the miR-135b-5p/CNDP1 Axis. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:5048. [PMID: 37894415 PMCID: PMC10605108 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15205048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Astragaloside IV (AS-IV) is a pivotal contributor to anti-tumour effects and has garnered extensive attention in research. Tumour cell immune suppression is closely related to the increase in Programmed Death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1). Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant tumour originating from hepatic epithelial tissue, and the role of AS-IV in regulating PD-L1 in anti-HCC activity remains unclear. METHODS Various concentrations of AS-IV were administered to both human liver immortalised cells (THEL2) and HCC (Huh-7 and SMMC-7721), and cell growth was assessed using the CCK-8 assay. HCC levels and cell apoptosis were examined using flow cytometry. Mice were orally administered AS-IV at different concentrations to study its effects on HCC in vivo. Immunohistochemistry was employed to evaluate PD-L1 levels. Western blotting was employed to determine PD-L1 and CNDP1 protein levels. We carried out a qRT-PCR to quantify the levels of miR-135b-3p and CNDP1. Finally, a dual-luciferase reporter assay was employed to validate the direct interaction between miR-135b-3p and the 3'UTR of CNDP1. RESULTS AS-IV exhibited a dose-dependent inhibition of proliferation in Huh-7 and SMMC-7721 while inhibiting PD-L1 expression induced by interferon-γ (IFN-γ), thus attenuating PD-L1-mediated immune suppression. MiR-135b-5p showed significant amplification in HCC tissues and cells. AS-IV mitigated PD-L1-mediated immune suppression through miR-135b-5p. MiR-135b-5p targeted CNDP1, and AS-IV mitigated PD-L1-induced immunosuppression by modulating the miR-135b-5p/CNDP1 pathway. CONCLUSION AS-IV decreases cell surface PD-L1 levels and alleviates PD-L1-associated immune suppression via the miR-135b-5p/CNDP1 pathway. AS-IV may be a novel component for treating HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Ma
- National Institute of TCM Constitution and Preventive Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China; (Y.M.)
| | - Yan Li
- National Institute of TCM Constitution and Preventive Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China; (Y.M.)
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Taotao Wu
- National Institute of TCM Constitution and Preventive Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China; (Y.M.)
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Yingshuai Li
- National Institute of TCM Constitution and Preventive Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China; (Y.M.)
| | - Qi Wang
- National Institute of TCM Constitution and Preventive Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China; (Y.M.)
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7
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Nicholas B, Skipp P. What do cancer-specific CD8+ T cells see? The contribution of immunopeptidomics. Essays Biochem 2023; 67:957-965. [PMID: 37503576 DOI: 10.1042/ebc20220246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Immunopeptidomics is the survey of all peptides displayed on a cell or tissue when bound to human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules using tandem mass spectrometry. When attempting to determine the targets of tumour-specific CD8+ T cells, a survey of the potential ligands in tumour tissues is invaluable, and, in comparison with in-silico predictions, provides greater certainty of the existence of individual epitopes, as immunopeptidomics-confirmed CD8+ T-cell epitopes are known to be immunogenic, and direct observation should avoid the risk of autoreactivity which could arise following immunisation with structural homologues. The canonical sources of CD8+ T-cell tumour specific epitopes, such as tumour associated antigens, may be well conserved between patients and tumour types, but are often only weakly immunogenic. Direct observation of tumour-specific neoantigens by immunopeptidomics is rare, although valuable. Thus, there has been increasing interest in the non-canonical origins of tumour-reactive CD8+ T-cell epitopes, such as those arising from proteasomal splicing events, translational/turnover defects and alternative open reading frame reads. Such epitopes can be identified in silico, although validation is more challenging. Non-self CD8+ T-cell epitopes such as viral epitopes may be useful in certain cancer types with known viral origins, however these have been relatively unexplored with immunopeptidomics to date, possibly due to the paucity of source viral proteins in tumour tissues. This review examines the latest evidence for canonical, non-canonical and non-human CD8+ T-cell epitopes identified by immunopeptidomics, and concludes that the relative contribution for each of these sources to anti-tumour CD8+ T-cell reactivity is currently uncertain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Nicholas
- Centre for Proteomic Research, Biological Sciences and Institute for Life Sciences, Building 85, University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ, U.K
| | - Paul Skipp
- Centre for Proteomic Research, Biological Sciences and Institute for Life Sciences, Building 85, University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ, U.K
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Yang K, Halima A, Chan TA. Antigen presentation in cancer - mechanisms and clinical implications for immunotherapy. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2023; 20:604-623. [PMID: 37328642 DOI: 10.1038/s41571-023-00789-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Over the past decade, the emergence of effective immunotherapies has revolutionized the clinical management of many types of cancers. However, long-term durable tumour control is only achieved in a fraction of patients who receive these therapies. Understanding the mechanisms underlying clinical response and resistance to treatment is therefore essential to expanding the level of clinical benefit obtained from immunotherapies. In this Review, we describe the molecular mechanisms of antigen processing and presentation in tumours and their clinical consequences. We examine how various aspects of the antigen-presentation machinery (APM) shape tumour immunity. In particular, we discuss genomic variants in HLA alleles and other APM components, highlighting their influence on the immunopeptidomes of both malignant cells and immune cells. Understanding the APM, how it is regulated and how it changes in tumour cells is crucial for determining which patients will respond to immunotherapy and why some patients develop resistance. We focus on recently discovered molecular and genomic alterations that drive the clinical outcomes of patients receiving immune-checkpoint inhibitors. An improved understanding of how these variables mediate tumour-immune interactions is expected to guide the more precise administration of immunotherapies and reveal potentially promising directions for the development of new immunotherapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kailin Yang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Taussig Cancer Center, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Ahmed Halima
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Taussig Cancer Center, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Timothy A Chan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Taussig Cancer Center, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
- Center for Immunotherapy and Precision Immuno-Oncology, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
- National Center for Regenerative Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH, USA.
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9
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Kroll KT, Mata MM, Homan KA, Micallef V, Carpy A, Hiratsuka K, Morizane R, Moisan A, Gubler M, Walz AC, Marrer-Berger E, Lewis JA. Immune-infiltrated kidney organoid-on-chip model for assessing T cell bispecific antibodies. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2305322120. [PMID: 37603766 PMCID: PMC10467620 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2305322120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
T cell bispecific antibodies (TCBs) are the focus of intense development for cancer immunotherapy. Recently, peptide-MHC (major histocompatibility complex)-targeted TCBs have emerged as a new class of biotherapeutics with improved specificity. These TCBs simultaneously bind to target peptides presented by the polymorphic, species-specific MHC encoded by the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) allele present on target cells and to the CD3 coreceptor expressed by human T lymphocytes. Unfortunately, traditional models for assessing their effects on human tissues often lack predictive capability, particularly for "on-target, off-tumor" interactions. Here, we report an immune-infiltrated, kidney organoid-on-chip model in which peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) along with nontargeting (control) or targeting TCB-based tool compounds are circulated under flow. The target consists of the RMF peptide derived from the intracellular tumor antigen Wilms' tumor 1 (WT1) presented on HLA-A2 via a bivalent T cell receptor-like binding domain. Using our model, we measured TCB-mediated CD8+ T cell activation and killing of RMF-HLA-A2-presenting cells in the presence of PBMCs and multiple tool compounds. DP47, a non-pMHC-targeting TCB that only binds to CD3 (negative control), does not promote T cell activation and killing. Conversely, the nonspecific ESK1-like TCB (positive control) promotes CD8+ T cell expansion accompanied by dose-dependent T cell-mediated killing of multiple cell types, while WT1-TCB* recognizing the RMF-HLA-A2 complex with high specificity, leads solely to selective killing of WT1-expressing cells within kidney organoids under flow. Our 3D kidney organoid model offers a platform for preclinical testing of cancer immunotherapies and investigating tissue-immune system interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina T. Kroll
- Harvard University, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, MA02138
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Boston, MA02115
| | - Mariana M. Mata
- Harvard University, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, MA02138
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Boston, MA02115
| | - Kimberly A. Homan
- Harvard University, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, MA02138
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Boston, MA02115
- Complex in vitro Systems, Safety Assessment, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA94080
| | - Virginie Micallef
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, BaselCH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Alejandro Carpy
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Munich, MunichDE-82377, Germany
| | - Ken Hiratsuka
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA02138
| | - Ryuji Morizane
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA02138
| | - Annie Moisan
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, BaselCH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Marcel Gubler
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, BaselCH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Antje-Christine Walz
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, BaselCH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Estelle Marrer-Berger
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, BaselCH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Jennifer A. Lewis
- Harvard University, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, MA02138
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Boston, MA02115
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10
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Stutzmann C, Peng J, Wu Z, Savoie C, Sirois I, Thibault P, Wheeler AR, Caron E. Unlocking the potential of microfluidics in mass spectrometry-based immunopeptidomics for tumor antigen discovery. CELL REPORTS METHODS 2023; 3:100511. [PMID: 37426761 PMCID: PMC10326451 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2023.100511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
The identification of tumor-specific antigens (TSAs) is critical for developing effective cancer immunotherapies. Mass spectrometry (MS)-based immunopeptidomics has emerged as a powerful tool for identifying TSAs as physical molecules. However, current immunopeptidomics platforms face challenges in measuring low-abundance TSAs in a precise, sensitive, and reproducible manner from small needle-tissue biopsies (<1 mg). Inspired by recent advances in single-cell proteomics, microfluidics technology offers a promising solution to these limitations by providing improved isolation of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-associated peptides with higher sensitivity. In this context, we highlight the challenges in sample preparation and the rationale for developing microfluidics technology in immunopeptidomics. Additionally, we provide an overview of promising microfluidic methods, including microchip pillar arrays, valved-based systems, droplet microfluidics, and digital microfluidics, and discuss the latest research on their application in MS-based immunopeptidomics and single-cell proteomics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jiaxi Peng
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Zhaoguan Wu
- CHU Sainte Justine Research Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | | | - Pierre Thibault
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Aaron R. Wheeler
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Etienne Caron
- CHU Sainte Justine Research Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Cellular Biology, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
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11
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Admon A. The biogenesis of the immunopeptidome. Semin Immunol 2023; 67:101766. [PMID: 37141766 DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2023.101766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The immunopeptidome is the repertoire of peptides bound and presented by the MHC class I, class II, and non-classical molecules. The peptides are produced by the degradation of most cellular proteins, and in some cases, peptides are produced from extracellular proteins taken up by the cells. This review attempts to first describe some of its known and well-accepted concepts, and next, raise some questions about a few of the established dogmas in this field: The production of novel peptides by splicing is questioned, suggesting here that spliced peptides are extremely rare, if existent at all. The degree of the contribution to the immunopeptidome by degradation of cellular protein by the proteasome is doubted, therefore this review attempts to explain why it is likely that this contribution to the immunopeptidome is possibly overstated. The contribution of defective ribosome products (DRiPs) and non-canonical peptides to the immunopeptidome is noted and methods are suggested to quantify them. In addition, the common misconception that the MHC class II peptidome is mostly derived from extracellular proteins is noted, and corrected. It is stressed that the confirmation of sequence assignments of non-canonical and spliced peptides should rely on targeted mass spectrometry using spiking-in of heavy isotope-labeled peptides. Finally, the new methodologies and modern instrumentation currently available for high throughput kinetics and quantitative immunopeptidomics are described. These advanced methods open up new possibilities for utilizing the big data generated and taking a fresh look at the established dogmas and reevaluating them critically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arie Admon
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Israel.
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12
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Contemplating immunopeptidomes to better predict them. Semin Immunol 2023; 66:101708. [PMID: 36621290 DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2022.101708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The identification of T-cell epitopes is key for a complete molecular understanding of immune recognition mechanisms in infectious diseases, autoimmunity and cancer. T-cell epitopes further provide targets for personalized vaccines and T-cell therapy, with several therapeutic applications in cancer immunotherapy and elsewhere. T-cell epitopes consist of short peptides displayed on Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecules. The recent advances in mass spectrometry (MS) based technologies to profile the ensemble of peptides displayed on MHC molecules - the so-called immunopeptidome - had a major impact on our understanding of antigen presentation and MHC ligands. On the one hand, these techniques enabled researchers to directly identify hundreds of thousands of peptides presented on MHC molecules, including some that elicited T-cell recognition. On the other hand, the data collected in these experiments revealed fundamental properties of antigen presentation pathways and significantly improved our ability to predict naturally presented MHC ligands and T-cell epitopes across the wide spectrum of MHC alleles found in human and other organisms. Here we review recent computational developments to analyze experimentally determined immunopeptidomes and harness these data to improve our understanding of antigen presentation and MHC binding specificities, as well as our ability to predict MHC ligands. We further discuss the strengths and limitations of the latest approaches to move beyond predictions of antigen presentation and tackle the challenges of predicting TCR recognition and immunogenicity.
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13
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MEK inhibition enhances presentation of targetable MHC-I tumor antigens in mutant melanomas. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2208900119. [PMID: 36454758 PMCID: PMC9894220 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2208900119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Combining multiple therapeutic strategies in NRAS/BRAF mutant melanoma-namely MEK/BRAF kinase inhibitors, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), and targeted immunotherapies-may offer an improved survival benefit by overcoming limitations associated with any individual therapy. Still, optimal combination, order, and timing of administration remains under investigation. Here, we measure how MEK inhibition (MEKi) alters anti-tumor immunity by utilizing quantitative immunopeptidomics to profile changes in the peptide major histocompatibility molecules (pMHC) repertoire. These data reveal a collection of tumor antigens whose presentation levels are selectively augmented following therapy, including several epitopes present at over 1,000 copies per cell. We leveraged the tunable abundance of MEKi-modulated antigens by targeting four epitopes with pMHC-specific T cell engagers and antibody drug conjugates, enhancing cell killing in tumor cells following MEK inhibition. These results highlight drug treatment as a means to enhance immunotherapy efficacy by targeting specific upregulated pMHCs and provide a methodological framework for identifying, quantifying, and therapeutically targeting additional epitopes of interest.
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14
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Kim GB, Fritsche J, Bunk S, Mahr A, Unverdorben F, Tosh K, Kong H, Maldini CR, Lau C, Srivatsa S, Jiang S, Glover J, Dopkin D, Zhang CX, Schuster H, Kowalewski DJ, Goldfinger V, Ott M, Fuhrmann D, Baues M, Boesmueller H, Schraeder C, Schimmack G, Song C, Hoffgaard F, Roemer M, Tsou CC, Hofmann M, Treiber T, Hutt M, Alten L, Jaworski M, Alpert A, Missel S, Reinhardt C, Singh H, Schoor O, Walter S, Wagner C, Maurer D, Weinschenk T, Riley JL. Quantitative immunopeptidomics reveals a tumor stroma-specific target for T cell therapy. Sci Transl Med 2022; 14:eabo6135. [PMID: 36044599 PMCID: PMC10130759 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abo6135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
T cell receptor (TCR)-based immunotherapy has emerged as a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of patients with solid cancers. Identifying peptide-human leukocyte antigen (pHLA) complexes highly presented on tumors and rarely expressed on healthy tissue in combination with high-affinity TCRs that when introduced into T cells can redirect T cells to eliminate tumor but not healthy tissue is a key requirement for safe and efficacious TCR-based therapies. To discover promising shared tumor antigens that could be targeted via TCR-based adoptive T cell therapy, we employed population-scale immunopeptidomics using quantitative mass spectrometry across ~1500 tumor and normal tissue samples. We identified an HLA-A*02:01-restricted pan-cancer epitope within the collagen type VI α-3 (COL6A3) gene that is highly presented on tumor stroma across multiple solid cancers due to a tumor-specific alternative splicing event that rarely occurs outside the tumor microenvironment. T cells expressing natural COL6A3-specific TCRs demonstrated only modest activity against cells presenting high copy numbers of COL6A3 pHLAs. One of these TCRs was affinity-enhanced, enabling transduced T cells to specifically eliminate tumors in vivo that expressed similar copy numbers of pHLAs as primary tumor specimens. The enhanced TCR variants exhibited a favorable safety profile with no detectable off-target reactivity, paving the way to initiate clinical trials using COL6A3-specific TCRs to target an array of solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gloria B Kim
- Department of Microbiology, Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jens Fritsche
- Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 15, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Sebastian Bunk
- Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 15, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Andrea Mahr
- Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 15, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Felix Unverdorben
- Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 15, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Kevin Tosh
- Department of Microbiology, Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Hong Kong
- Department of Microbiology, Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Colby R Maldini
- Department of Microbiology, Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Chui Lau
- Department of Microbiology, Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Sriram Srivatsa
- Department of Microbiology, Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Shuguang Jiang
- Department of Microbiology, Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Joshua Glover
- Department of Microbiology, Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Derek Dopkin
- Department of Microbiology, Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Carolyn X Zhang
- Department of Microbiology, Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Heiko Schuster
- Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 15, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Daniel J Kowalewski
- Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 15, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | | | - Martina Ott
- Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 15, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - David Fuhrmann
- Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 15, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Maike Baues
- Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 15, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Hans Boesmueller
- Institute of Pathology and Neuropathology, Eberhard Karls University, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Christoph Schraeder
- Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 15, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Gisela Schimmack
- Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 15, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Colette Song
- Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 15, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Franziska Hoffgaard
- Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 15, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Michael Roemer
- Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 15, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Chih-Chiang Tsou
- Immatics US, 2201 W. Holcombe Blvd., Suite 205, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Martin Hofmann
- Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 15, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Treiber
- Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 15, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Meike Hutt
- Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 15, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Leonie Alten
- Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 15, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Maike Jaworski
- Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 15, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Amir Alpert
- Immatics US, 2201 W. Holcombe Blvd., Suite 205, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Sarah Missel
- Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 15, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Carsten Reinhardt
- Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 15, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Harpreet Singh
- Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 15, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany.,Immatics US, 2201 W. Holcombe Blvd., Suite 205, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Oliver Schoor
- Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 15, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Steffen Walter
- Immatics US, 2201 W. Holcombe Blvd., Suite 205, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Claudia Wagner
- Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 15, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Dominik Maurer
- Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 15, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Toni Weinschenk
- Immatics Biotechnologies GmbH, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 15, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany.,Immatics US, 2201 W. Holcombe Blvd., Suite 205, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - James L Riley
- Department of Microbiology, Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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15
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Chen D, Li Y. PredMHC: An Effective Predictor of Major Histocompatibility Complex Using Mixed Features. Front Genet 2022; 13:875112. [PMID: 35547252 PMCID: PMC9081368 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.875112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is a large locus on vertebrate DNA that contains a tightly linked set of polymorphic genes encoding cell surface proteins essential for the adaptive immune system. The groups of proteins encoded in the MHC play an important role in the adaptive immune system. Therefore, the accurate identification of the MHC is necessary to understand its role in the adaptive immune system. An effective predictor called PredMHC is established in this study to identify the MHC from protein sequences. Firstly, PredMHC encoded a protein sequence with mixed features including 188D, APAAC, KSCTriad, CKSAAGP, and PAAC. Secondly, three classifiers including SGD, SMO, and random forest were trained on the mixed features of the protein sequence. Finally, the prediction result was obtained by the voting of the three classifiers. The experimental results of the 10-fold cross-validation test in the training dataset showed that PredMHC can obtain 91.69% accuracy. Experimental results on comparison with other features, classifiers, and existing methods showed the effectiveness of PredMHC in predicting the MHC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Chen
- College of Electrical and Information Engineering, Quzhou University, Quzhou, China
| | - Yanjuan Li
- College of Electrical and Information Engineering, Quzhou University, Quzhou, China
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