Abstract

Neoantigens are tumor-specific antigens that arise from somatic mutations in cancer cells. These mutations result in the generation of abnormal peptides that can be presented by the immune system’s Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecules. Neoantigens are gaining significant attention in cancer immunotherapy, as they hold the potential to be used in personalized vaccines and therapies aimed at stimulating the immune system to target and destroy tumor cells.

About This Material

This is a Hands-on Tutorial from the GTN which is usable either for individual self-study, or as a teaching material in a classroom.

Questions this will address

• How can neoantigens be identified in cancer genomes?
• What role do neoantigens play in personalized immunotherapy?
• How can mutations in cancer cells be used to predict immune system responses?

Learning Objectives

• Identify potential neoantigens from sequencing data.
• Annotate somatic mutations and predict peptide sequences.
• Predict MHC binding affinities for neoantigens.
• Interpret data using bioinformatics tools for cancer immunotherapy applications.