TScan-II: A genome-scale platform for the de novo identification of CD4 T cell epitopes.

Cell
Authors
Keywords
Abstract

CD4 T cells play fundamental roles in orchestrating immune responses and tissue homeostasis. However, our inability to associate peptide human leukocyte antigen class-II (HLA-II) complexes with their cognate T cell receptors (TCRs) in an unbiased manner has hampered our understanding of CD4 T cell function and role in pathologies. Here, we introduce TScan-II, a highly sensitive genome-scale CD4 antigen discovery platform. This platform seamlessly integrates the endogenous HLA-II antigen-processing machinery in synthetic antigen-presenting cells and TCR signaling in T cells, enabling the simultaneous screening of multiple HLAs and TCRs. Leveraging genome-scale human, virome, and epitope mutagenesis libraries, TScan-II facilitates de novo antigen discovery and deep exploration of TCR specificity. We demonstrate TScan-II's potential for basic and translational research by identifying a non-canonical antigen for a cancer-reactive CD4 T cell clone. Additionally, we identified two antigens for clonally expanded CD4 T cells in Sjögren's disease, which bind distinct HLAs and are expressed in HLA-II-positive ductal cells within affected salivary glands.

Year of Publication
2023
Journal
Cell
Volume
186
Issue
25
Pages
5569-5586.e21
Date Published
12/2023
ISSN
1097-4172
DOI
10.1016/j.cell.2023.10.024
PubMed ID
38016469
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