Neoantigen Sequencing Service

Tumor cells are genetically unstable and often exhibit a large number of mutations, among which non-synonymous mutations can produce tumor-specific antigens, known as neoantigens. Some of these neoantigens can be expressed, processed, presented on the cell surface, and recognized by T cells with the assistance of major histocompatibility complex (MHCs) molecules. Currently, neoantigens have become an ideal target for T cell-based cancer immunotherapy and provide key information for cancer therapeutic vaccines design.

 

The traditional approach is to overexpress cDNA libraries and MHCs molecules in a cell line and then co-culture them with T cells to identify antigens capable of inducing T cell activation. However, this method is labor-intensive, costly, and does not effectively recognize all tumor antigens. With the rapid advancement of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology, it is now possible to quickly compare the DNA sequences of tumor cells and normal cells to identify tumor-specific mutations. Although many neoantigens have been identified based on whole-exome sequencing (WES) technology and continuously improved bioinformatics algorithms, the success rate still needs improvement.

 

At Kinase Insight, we integrate cutting-edge proteomics technology with Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) to perform highly efficient and precise analyses of tumor neoantigens. Our approach involves the enrichment of Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) class I or II proteins, also referred to as HLAs in human MHC, within the neoantigen presentation pathway. This allows us to obtain MHC-presenting peptides, which can be directly identified through mass spectrometry for the acquisition of tumor neoantigens.